INTRODUCTION TO THE ASSOCIATION OF FAMILY AND CONCILIATION COURTS’MODEL STANDARDS OF PRACTICE FOR CHILD CUSTODY EVALUATION

• Author: David A. Martindale
• Date: 01 January 2007
• Published date: 01 January 2007
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-1617.2007.129_1.x

FAMILY COURT REVIEW, Vol. 45 No. 1, January 2007 58–60

© 2007 Association of Family and Conciliation Courts

Blackwell Publishing IncMalden, USAFCREFamily Court Review1531-2445© Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, 2007January 2007451Original Article

JANUARY 2007451ORIGINAL ARTICLE

FAMILY COURT REVIEWMARTINDALE/INTRODUCTION AND FOREWORD

MODEL STANDARDS OF PRACTICE FOR CHILD CUSTODY

EVALUATION

INTRODUCTION TO THE ASSOCIATION OF FAMILY AND

CONCILIATION COURTS’

MODEL STANDARDS OF PRACTICE

FOR CHILD CUSTODY EVALUATION

David A. Martindale

The Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) is an international and

interdisciplinary organization. In addition to custody evaluators from all the mental health

professions, AFCC’s membership includes mediators, parenting coordinators, parent edu-

cators, attorneys, judges, court commissioners, and researchers. One of AFCC’s strengths

lies in the fact that its members are drawn from various professions, but share a strong com-

mitment to programs of benefit to children. Previous AFCC task forces have developed

Model Standards of Practice for Family and Divorce Mediation

(AFCC, 2000) and

Guide-

lines for Parenting Coordination

(2005).

The AFCC Task Force on

Model Standards of Practice for Child Custody Evaluation

was assembled in 2004 by Past President Leslye Hunter. The Task Force was charged with

developing a set of model standards that would guide the practice of evaluators with different

professional backgrounds and operating in different contexts and would also be useful to

attorneys, judges, and others involved in the adjudication of disputes concerning custody

and access. The Task Force included evaluators from the fields of social work and psychology,

employed in court-connected facilities and in private practice; a reviewer of evaluations,

consulting to evaluators, attorneys, and regulatory agencies; an attorney; and a judge.

Work on the

Model Standards

was begun in October 2004 during the Sixth International

Symposium on Child Custody Evaluations, conducted in Nashville, Tennessee, under the

auspices of AFCC. The Task Force developed eight drafts before writing the final document.

At two points during the development of the

Model Standards

, the current draft was pub-

licly posted and input from interested practitioners and groups was actively sought. These

Model Standards

are the product of input by practitioners representing numerous profes-

sions. In developing the

Model Standards

, the Task Force received more than 600 written

comments on the two publicly posted drafts and more than 200 attendees also provided

feedback at one or more of three public meetings. The Task Force and the AFCC are very

appreciative of the time and effort that was expended by the many people who carefully

examined drafts and offered input.

Since the publication of the American Psychological Association’s

Guidelines for Child

Custody Evaluations in Divorce Proceedings

(1994) and the previous version of the AFCC’s

Model Standards

(1994), much has changed in the world of custody evaluation. More

Correspondence: david@damartindale.com