§730 Child Custody Evaluation
Special Master or Parent Plan Coordinator
Personal Counseling for Parents Going Through Divorce
Personal Counseling for Children
Parent/Child Reunification
Mediation

§730 Child Custody Evaluation
The §730 Child Custody Evaluation provides an in depth study of the family’s processes, individual dynamics and the parenting capacity related to the children. The evaluation is done based on the best interest of the child/ren.

The evaluation is written to provide the judge or commissioner with information about the family dynamics, as well as stating recommendations as to custody and visitation in the best interest of the children.

An evaluation begins with an office visit and psychological testing. A home visit is made to each parent’s residence with the children and other significant individuals present. Information from collaterals and interested parties is collected. A comprehensive report is then written and submitted to the court.

Special Master or Parent Plan Coordinator
Research has shown that the ongoing conflicts between parents, after divorce, can significantly affect a child’s emotional adjustment and health in the future.

Parental conflict can change the nature of the parent/child relationship, create anxieties and distress, frighten and depress children, and compromise identity formation. As a way of reducing parental conflict, litigation and cost, the Special Master can be used to assist a conflicted family.

Special Masters are court appointed experts who assist the judge in a quasi judicial role to avoid frequent and continuing custody litigation. The Special Master’s role is to help the parents mediate decisions.

If the parents are incapable of reaching a solution, the Special Master has a right to make decisions about the issues and to make recommendations to the court regarding custody and visitation issues.

The appointment of a Special Master can help minimize trauma to the children of divorced families, by resolving custody related disputes and reducing the court’s involvement with the family.

Personal Counseling for Parents Going Through Divorce
Divorce can be one of the most stressful life events. Dealing with feelings about one’s ex-spouse, ending a relationship, anger, resentment and sadness, can cloud one’s ability to effectively make decisions. Counseling can help parents handle the divorce process in an effective manner, work through their feelings and be able to deal effectively with the other parent, without emotion.

Personal Counseling for Children
Children, adolescents and teenagers are often affected by divorce. They can experience a grief reaction over the loss of their intact family. Fear and anger for the disruption of the family and feelings of powerlessness, depression and acting out may occur. Fear of abandonment may develop and the child can feel that they need to choose one parent over the other.

These difficult issues can be addressed in individual counseling with the child, adolescent or teenager to help them develop an emotionally healthy response to this difficult transition in their life.

Parent/Child Reunification
The divorce process or previous life experience can leave a child estranged and distant from one parent. The purpose of the reunification is to reconnect a child with the alienated parent.

During the assessment, the potential impact of the reconciliation process and the estranged parent’s openness and suitability for reunification are evaluated. Education along with communication skills, are addressed. Feelings are dealt with in an effective manner. Reestablishing healthy communication is the main goal.

Mediation
Mediation is an excellent way to help parents resolve differences that arise during or after divorce litigation. The mediation process starts with an educational phase, communication training and guidelines to help enable the parents to work together to create effective decisions in the best interests of the children. Mediation helps to reduce litigation over parental disputes and custody issues.
 
  © 2012 Successful Development. Dr. Diane Kelley, Ph.D. | All Rights Reserved.