730 California Child Custody Evaluations
A Judge may order or the parties may agree to undergo a custody evaluation called a “730 Evaluation” in cases where the custody issues are more complex, such as:
- – One parent wishing to move away with the child
- – Mental health problems
- – Current or past substance abuse
- – Incidents of domestic violence
- – Allegations of child abuse either physical or sexual in nature
- – Problematic or controversial parenting practices
- – Parenting ability and capacity of each parent
- – The Relationship between the parents and each parent’s willingness to allow continued contact between the other parent and each child
- – Each parent’s relationship to each child
- – Each parent’s mental health
- – Any evidence of current or prior substance abuse
- – Each child’s mental health.
- – Any evidence of violence or abuse
- – Several interviews with each Parent
- – Several interviews with each Child
- – Observation of a parent’s interaction with each child in the office
- – One or more visits to each Parent’s home
- – Taking extensive family histories
- – Interviews with collateral witnesses such as teachers, therapists, pediatricians, and significant others
- – Psychological testing for each Parent
- – eview of important court documents