From her practice in Irvine, California, psychologist and social worker Dr. Miriam Galindo provides assistance to divorcing families. Dr. Miriam Galindo’s responsibilities include guiding families through child custody evaluations, which can became a stressful ordeal for all individuals involved.

1. A NAVIGATION THROUGH
A CHILD CUSTODY
EVALUATION
By Miriam Galindo

2. Introduction
 From her practice in Irvine, California, psychologist and social
worker Dr. Miriam Galindo provides assistance to divorcing
families. Dr. Miriam Galindo’s responsibilities include guiding
families through child custody evaluations, which can became
a stressful ordeal for all individuals involved.
While some parents successfully mediate child custody
arrangements with one another or through lawyers, others
require the assistance of child custody evaluations or court
proceedings to resolve disputes. Child custody evaluations
serve the purpose of helping families establish custody and
visitation arrangements that best meet the needs of their
children.
The standard evaluation procedure involves the use of a
licensed mental health professional to provide an unbiased
assessment of the children’s needs and the ability of each
parent to meet them.

3. Child Custody Evaluation
 The professionals serve as evaluators who identify the strengths
and weaknesses of each parent and examine past events, current
resources, and the family’s future needs. Evaluations consist of
three components: a series of interviews, the gathering of personal
information, and psychological evaluations when necessary.
These proceedings allow the custody evaluator to develop a full
understanding of the family and the individuals within it. Interviews
focus on learning the separate issues and concerns of each
individual and observing the relationship among family members.
Gathered information includes school and health records, social
service information, and other documents that help them obtain an
outsider’s perspective on the issues. In some cases, the evaluators
may require parents to undergo psychological evaluations when
their emotional and mental status will help the judge understand the
situation.

4. Conclusion
 At the end of the evaluation process, the
evaluator submits a report of their assessment
to a judge, who will then use it should the
custody case go to trial. However, no trials are
required under the circumstance that the
family reaches an agreement and settlement
during the evaluation.