A Critical Assessment of Child Custody Evaluations.
Limited Science and a Flawed System
Robert E. Emery, Randy K. Otto, and William T. O'Donohue
Editorial by Eleanor E. Maccoby
Volume 6, Number 1
July 2005
Contents
- Download the full report (PDF - 371 KB)
- A Cogent Case for a New Child Custody Standard (PDF - 39 KB)
- Summary (PDF - 47 KB)
- Introduction (PDF - 47 KB)
- Demographics of Family Structure, Custody Disputes, and Custody Arrangements (PDF - 117 KB)
- Custody Law and Child Custody Evaluations In Practice (PDF - 82 KB)
- The (Limited) Science of Custody Evaluations (PDF - 86 KB)
- Average Effects and Variation in the Well-Being of Children from Divorced Families (PDF - 49 KB)
- Predictors of Children's Psychological Adjustment to Divorce (PDF - 102 KB)
- Children's Best Interests: A Standard with No Standards (PDF - 50 KB)
- Recommendation 1: Encourage Alternative Dispute Resolution and Private Settlement (PDF - 58 KB)
- Recommendation 2: Adopt a Clear Custody Standard Like the Approximation Rule (PDF - 49 KB)
- Recommendation 3: Limit Expert Testimony and Clarify Standards of Practice (PDF - 49 KB)
- Concluding Comment: A Question of Values (PDF - 49 KB)
- References (PDF - 75 KB)