San Jose Child Custody Evaluations Lawyer

In a child custody dispute which cannot be resolved through agreement between the parties, the court decides based on what it perceives to be "the best interests of the child." To aid in this decision, it can utilize child custody evaluations prepared by professional psychologists and counselors.

At the Dominion Law Group, we help clients obtain evaluations which can serve to bolster their cases, and we also can challenge the evaluations obtained by the opposing party.

In Santa Clara County, the court can consider evaluations from two sources, both paid for by the plaintiff party:

730 Evaluation — This is a long and comprehensive evaluation by an independent evaluator which involves interviews with a wide range of people, including the child, the parents, the child's relatives, the child's teachers, and others. It examines school records and the child's performance in school, the child's behavior and relationships with others, and any other data the evaluator deems relevant. It typically costs $5,000 — $15,000, but can run far higher.

Court Ordered Evaluation — It is performed by professionals on the staff of Family Court Services and looks at much more limited information. While the 730 evaluation takes 30 — 100 hours, an evaluation by court personnel takes 6 — 10 hours, and costs about $2,000.

The Dominion Law Group can advise you as to child custody evaluation proceedings, and we can arrange to have them performed. When the evaluation is presented to the court, we can defend its validity using our knowledge of such procedures. If the opposing party has arranged for the evaluation, we can mount a challenge to its findings using a knowledgeable and capable third-party consultant.

Most importantly, we can frame the arguments in the terms which the court will use in making its decision. Our goal in every child custody matter is the protection of our client's rights and interests, and the best interests of the child.

For a consultation with Dominion Law Group, call (408) 288-5592, or contact us online.