Custody Evaluation
for Child Custody/Parenting Evaluations with Court Testimony in all US states and Canada.
We provide thoughtful child custody evaluations
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Child Custody Evaluation
An online child custody evaluation is a process where a professional conducts an online assessment to evaluate the needs and requirements of the child. They also evaluate the ability of the parents to fulfill the child’s needs. This evaluation helps the court to decide on the custody arrangements that are best for the child.
The child custody evaluation process includes:
Interviews, assessments, and observations
Focusing on which parent can provide a better environment for the child
Focusing on the mental, emotional and physical health of both parents to confirm if they are medically fit.
Observation of parenting skills and child-parent relationship.
- Online child custody evaluation or parenting evaluation offers many advantages for families going through custody disputes.
Parenting Evaluation
Parenting evaluation might have the same approach but evaluation criteria are different. It is an assessment process that focuses on evaluating the parenting abilities of one of the parents. The purpose of this evaluation is to determine whether a parent can provide their child with a safe and healthy environment.
The parenting evaluation process includes:
Focusing on overall parenting abilities rather than child custody decisions
Deep analysis in the cases of abuse, neglect, or safety concerns
Identifying areas where a parent might need support and improvement
Observing parent’s abilities to meet the physical and emotional requirements of the child
When would I need a Child Custody Evaluation?
A child custody or parenting evaluation may be needed:
- When you know that your co-parent is neglecting your child.
- When there is an open Administration for Children’s Services case.
- When you have been denied access to your child, only supervised visits are allowed.
- When you believe that your ex-partner is willfully trying to separate you from your child.
- When you believe that the other parent is abusing your child, physically, sexually, or emotionally.
- When you have access to your child but want to file a request for joint custody or more visitation time.
- When you have been accused of harming or neglecting your child, and proved to be unfit to parent your child.
- When you believe that your child’s mother or father is unable to take care of your child due to a mental illness or substance abuse and needs closer monitoring or a court-mandated treatment plan.
- When you believe, it will be better for your children’s emotional development to live with you and not with your ex-partner/ spouse, or that you can take better care of your child.
- When your child is not meeting social and educational milestones and needs extra help or support, that your co-parent is unable to provide.
- An effective child cutody evaluation can significantly improve the outcome of your case.
Who should conduct a child custody evaluation?
A child custody evaluation should be conducted by a board-certified psychiatrist (child custody evaluator), especially in cases where one or both of the parents are diagnosed with a mental illness.
Custody Evaluator
Dr. Gundu Reddy
Board Certified Psychiatrist (MBBS, MD): Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.
Licensed in Multiple States: New York, New Jersey, California, Florida, Tennessee, Illinois, and South Carolina
Dr. Gundu Reddy is a Board Certified Psychiatrist (child custody evaluator) and has successfully evaluated several child custody cases. She is best in this field with ten years of experience practicing forensic psychiatry and fifteen years of experience practicing clinical psychiatry.
Dr. Reddy’s practice:
- Works for the best interest of the client and ensures that all mitigating factors are resolved. She is well-considered to give a positive outcome to the client.
- Extracts information legally through assessment sessions. Obtains clinically relevant information from records, collateral, and clinical interviews for reference.
- Presents information and suggestions in a clear and organized manner, so that a non-clinical or legal professional understands easily.
- Supports testimony with clear reasoning and evidence which contributes to a credible testimony, and better outcome for the client.
- Conducts in-person, and online child custody evaluations and court testimony according to the client’s needs. Dr. Reddy states that she is equally comfortable with both, and the three things that determine the outcome of the testimony are ‘quality, strength, and credibility’.
- Provides an evaluation with an extremely high success rate due to the quality, strength, and credibility of testimony.
- Gives solution-oriented plans to reunite children with parents and encourages a healthy loving relationship.
- Works hard and tries to minimize the effects of trauma on the child during the custody process.
Medical School:
The United Medical Dental Schools of Guys Kings and St Thomas’ at King’s College London
Psychiatry Residency Training:
Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Training:
NYU Psychoanalytic Institute
Board Certifications:
American Board of Psychiatry Neurology (ABPN)
Dr. Beena Saad
Triple Board Certified Psychiatrist (MD)
Licensed in Multiple States: New York, New Mexico, California, and Rhode Island
Dr. Beena Saad is a triple Board-Certified Psychiatrist (child custody evaluator). She also has an additional fellowship in pediatric consultation-liaison psychiatry. She has experience treating children and adolescents with ADHD, concurrent neurological disorders, and medical illnesses. She treats children and adolescents from a neuropsychopharmacological perspective. She is also proficient in pediatric psychotherapy and family therapy.
Conditions Dr. Saad treats:
Autism, ADHD, pediatric OCD, tic disorder, anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Developmental delay. Mood disorders due to general medical conditions, including cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and traumatic brain injury.
Dr. Saad shows a strong commitment to understanding the emotional and developmental needs unique to children and adolescents. She believes in empowering children and their families using a collaborative and individualized approach.
Dr. Saad understands the challenges that children and teens experience. She considers factors like genetic predispositions, developmental history, family dynamics, and environmental influences while creating treatment plans.
As well as being proficient in psychopharmacology, Dr Saad is proficient in psychodynamic psychotherapy, childhood therapy, CBT, and supportive psychotherapy.
Dr Saad has treated many children and adolescents and helped countless families. She has also contributed to the fields of child and adolescent psychiatry by participating in significant research. Dr. Saad’s caring approach helps children deal with mental health issues and improve their academic performance, social skills, and personal lives.
Medical Education:
M.B.B.S. – Sind Medical College, Pakistan
Postgraduate Training:
Child Psychiatry Fellowship – University of New Mexico
Child Psychosomatic Medicine Fellowship – Albert Einstein School of Medicine
Schedule an Appointment with one of our Online Psychiatrists
Clinical Services: California, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina, Tennessee
Forensic Psychiatry Services: All of the US and Canada
Our Board-Certified Psychiatrists provide quality, strength, and credibility of testimony leading to extremely high success rates.
It is important to consult a Board-certified Psychiatrist because many parents lose custody of their children due to poor quality or incomplete child custody evaluations.
Parental Fitness Evaluation
Parental fitness evaluation is also known as parental fitness assessment. It is not a routine process and is typically ordered under specific circumstances.
It is a process in which a court or other authority assesses the ability of one or both parents to provide for their child’s physical, emotional, and mental well-being.
It is ordered in the context of child custody cases, adoption proceedings, or other legal disputes.
Certain factors are considered during the evaluation regarding parents:
- Living conditions
- Financial stability
- Criminal history
- Drug use
- Mental health condition
Other important details
- It focuses on the parent’s overall ability to care for the child.
- It requires psychological expertise and an understanding of the legal system.
- A Board-Certified psychiatrist (child custody evaluator) is professionally trained in psychology and can help in custody cases.
FAQ
Should I consult the child custody evaluator in person or online?
It is important to choose the option that works best for your situation. Both options are effective in their own way. Meeting in person allows more personal connection whereas online consultation provides convenience and flexibility.
In terms of convenience, cost, and accessibility, many individuals choose child custody evaluators to conduct online child custody evaluations and provide in-person testimony in court.
How does an online forensic psychiatric evaluation differ from an in-person evaluation?
- An online Forensic Psychiatry Evaluation and Court Testimony should be performed with the same care and support as an in-person testimony.
- The same Professional Standards must be applied to video evaluations as to in-person evaluations.
- An online evaluation is preferable when a client has to be interviewed multiple times, when interviewing children, or when the client lives at a remote or distant location from the preferred expert.
How does an online child custody evaluation differ from an in-person evaluation?
- An online Child Custody Evaluation and Court Testimony should be performed with the same care and support as an in-person testimony by a certified child custody evaluator.
- The same Professional Standards must be applied to video evaluations as to in-person parenting evaluations.
- An online evaluation is preferable when a client has to be interviewed multiple times, when interviewing children, or when the client lives at a remote or distant location from the preferred expert.
Video testimony is highly preferred and welcomed as a norm in courtrooms since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Most child custody centers now offer in-house facilities for online child
custody evaluations. Many people opt for video testimony due to its safety, convenience, and accessibility. Courtrooms have understood the efficiency and effectiveness of video testimonies and ensure justice without the need
for physical presence.
Difference between a child custody evaluation and a parenting evaluation?
| Description | Child Custody | Parental Evaluation |
|---|---|---|
| Evaluation Type | Both parents are evaluated. | Only one parent is evaluated. |
| Psychological Evaluation | Conducted for both parents. | Conducted for the parent being evaluated. |
| Violent Risk Assessment | Performed on both parents. | Performed on the evaluated parent. |
| Collateral Information | Includes a chemical dependency screening, letters from employers, and other character references. | Includes letters from previous employers, and other character references. |
| Psychological Testing | May be used. | May be used. |
| Time Allocation | Includes recommendations on how much time should be allotted to each parent. | Does not include time allocation recommendations. |
| Text and Message Review | Communication records are considered for both parents. | Text messages, videos, and audio clips are considered as collateral. |
| Parental Fitness | Evaluates fitness to care for the child for both parents. | Assesses fitness of the evaluated parent only. |
| Substance Abuse and CPS Records | Reviews substance abuse history, CPS records, and police records for both parents. | Reviews substance abuse history, CPS records, and police records for that parent. |
| Goal | To give an expert opinion on custody and parenting plans, including both parents. | To give an expert opinion on whether the evaluated parent is capable of parenting without comparing to the other parent. |
| Child Involvement | Children are interviewed, and their interactions with parents are monitored. | Children are typically not involved. |
Who is a Child Custody Psychologist?
Child custody psychologists play a crucial role in supporting children and families during custody disputes. They emphasize therapeutic support for the emotional well-being of the child and the family, while a child custody evaluator conducts assessments for legal purposes and provides recommendations to the court.
- A child custody psychologist helps in assessing the emotional and psychological needs of the child.
- A child custody psychologist may conduct interviews and observations to understand family dynamics.
- A child custody psychologist offers recommendations to improve co-parenting and communication between parents.
- A child custody psychologist primarily focuses on supporting the child’s best interests during custody arrangements.
- A child custody psychologist may work with the court to provide insights about the child’s well-being.
- A child custody psychologist helps children build coping skills to manage the emotional impact of custody changes.
- A child custody psychologist provides guidance to parents on creating a stable and nurturing environment for the child.
I have been denied child custody - How do I get my child back?
Psychiatric treatment
A child custody evaluator can treat psychiatric symptoms so the child does not get affected and the parent can take care of their child. It is easy to regain custody of your child if you can demonstrate that you are taking medication on time and seeing a therapist.
Family therapy
A family therapist can help in building a positive bond between parent and child. They encourage the child to discuss their parent’s behaviors or attitudes, which may be causing distress, this helps in addressing the issues and avoiding conflict or alienation.
Parenting classes or coaching
A coach can help parents to improve effectively and calmly in areas such as discipline. Sometimes well-meaning or well-mannered parents do not know how to address matters appropriately when a child talks back, shows aggressive behaviors, pushes limits, or breaks rules.
Parenting coordinator
Conflict between parents can emotionally affect a child. In such cases, the parenting coordinator can help estranged parents work together to establish routines, rules, and consistency with parenting. Sometimes the role of a parenting coordinator is simply to enforce a court order.
- Demonstrate insight and reasons for past difficulties. Give assured that you are working towards solutions.
- Demonstrate that you are receiving proper treatment and monitoring for mental illness or substance abuse.
- Demonstrate that you are utilizing or are willing to utilize available resources to build a healthy relationship with your child.
My ex is abusive, how do I protect my child?
Legitimate reasons to deny joint custody and unsupervised visits may include:
- History of excessive violence, abusive, and sadistic behavior towards the child (it does not include spanking within the limits of the law in younger children).
- Inconsistency with the treatment process and ongoing substance abuse (this does not include short relapses if mostly sober).
- Poor insight with regards to mental illness and non-adherence to the prescribed treatment (this does not include asking for a change of prescribed medication, reporting side effects to medication, or requesting a second opinion with regards to medication).
- Refusal to participate in family therapy if emotional bond with children is stressed.
- Consistent neglect of children.
- Children report feeling unsafe and uncomfortable around the concerned parent.
- The parent has neglected the needs and requirements of the child multiple times like drinking and driving, not picking the child up from school, and other areas of poor judgment.
- Parental alienation is a harmful practice that should be avoided and can have long-term effects on the child. In some cases, parents willfully or unintentionally repeat behaviors that are harmful to their children or are unable to take care of their children due to a mental or physical illness.
How to Deal with Parental Alienation in Child Custody cases?
- Parental alienation is usually a bad thing for a child and can lead to long-term consequences. Children get the benefits when a relationship is fostered by both parents.
- Usually, parents do not neglect or harm their child and are willing to work with a child custody evaluator to facilitate a healthy nurturing relationship where needed. There are rare cases when parents deny a parent access to their child.
- A history of mental illness or substance abuse solely does not lead to the denial of parents custody of their children. It depends on whether they are currently receiving treatment, not using recreational drugs or excess alcohol intake, and can take care of their child.
- Parental mental illness should not be ignored, and protecting a child from harm or abuse should always be a priority. In such cases, the evaluator recommends the parent receive the treatment and facilitate access to resources.
- Both a parenting coordinator and a family therapist can help in rebuilding the relationship between parent and child. They also address behaviors that may not be helpful to the child and need to be improved.
child custody evaluation, refer.
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How does a Telepsychiatry Visit work?
Cloud-based software means no downloads
All you need is a computer or mobile device and internet