Conducting Child Custody Evaluations: From Basic to Complex Issues

This book is very well written and was a joy to read. I read this a few years ago in order to prepare for a custody evaluation for my family. It really helped me understand the process. Anyone who is going through a custody evaluation should read this book. There is something, however, that I take exception to, and I thought I would raise this in my review. In this book, the DV chapter discusses two types of DV in detail. Type 1 is Situational Couples Violence (SCV) aka Common Couples Violence. SCV is short term minor forms of violence such as pushing, shoving and grabbing. SCV generally stops after separation. “It is common in many families for this type of violence to be instigated rather equally by both men and women. However, there are other families in which one partner initiates SCV most of the time. When this occurs, women initiate SCV more frequently than men. Common forms of emotional violence in this group include cursing, yelling and name-calling.” Type 2 is Coercive-Controlling Violence (CCV). CCV is “Battering or Intimate Partner Violence where intimidation, power, coercion, control and emotional abuse are central dynamics of this type of violence. This type is primarily male initiated, with only a small number of heterosexual females initiating this type of violence.” He goes on to say that this type of violence results in more serious injuries and closes the chapter with stories where husbands killed their ex-wives and attempted to kill the judge involved in the case. So basically what this is telling practitioners is that DV perpetrated by women is usually labeled as “Common Couples Violence” and DV perpetrated by men is usually labeled “Battering”. The former category is safe and should go away, and the latter category can lead to serious outcomes such as murder. Dr. Stahl did not address the topic of false allegations. False allegations are common, and they are a severe form of emotional DV; CCV in my personal experience.

This updated version contains a well-organized wealth of information, not just about how to conduct custody evaluations in the most balanced, forensically defensible manner, but also about several issues that might arise in special circumstances such as domestic violence, relocation, parental alienation syndrome, etc. The author's experience in dealing with such cases comes across clearly. One small drawback though is that in the earlier version, the author had included two sample reports which I thought would be very helpful to readers; in the current version, he presents a smaller, selected section of a report, which is still useful, though I would have liked to see more of it. Overall, as a practising clinician and forensic psychologist, I would highly recommend this book.

I assign to every one of my child custody clients several thorough readings of this book. Dr. Stahl has written a comprehensive description of child custody evaluations, and he's one of the foremost trainers of California custody evaluators, so his protocol for conducting evaluations is followed by most (if not all) of the evaluators working in my cases. Though this volume was intended to be a textbook for evaluators, it's quite accessible and informative for parents going through their own evaluations.

I have found this to be enormously helpful in my clinical work. Lots of practical examples and things to avoid. Paired with training and consultation, I highly recommend this to anyone undertaking custody evaluations.

Very helpful to my practice.

Fabulous book!

Dr. Stahl's new book represents a significant contribution to the literature in the area of conducting professional, useful and ethical child custody evaluations. I found this book well written, easy to read/follow and organized in a manner which makes it highly useful. Dr. Stahl's book is, in my view, an essential part of any professional library if that professional is involved directly or indirectly in the work that is related to conducting or using child custody evaluations. For those familiar with Dr. Stahl's previous books on this topic, you'll not that this new book is a substantial revision of his previous volumes and one which encompasses up to date research in the field. I would note that this book combines the discussion of the fundamentals of child custody evaluations with a discussion of some of the more challenging and complicated issues that must be assessed in child custody evaluations. Because this book is written in a straightforward manner, it is useful to experienced professionals, those new to the field and even to lay individuals involved in child custody litigation. As an experienced child custody evaluator myself and one familiar with other books on similar topics, there is no doubt that Dr. Stahl's new volume must rightly take its place as a seminal book in this complex area. If you don't own this book, buy it.

Phil Stahl's new book, Conducting Child Custody Evaluations, from Basic to Complex Issues, Sage Publications, 2011, is a necessary and fantastic addition to the library of all custody evaluators. He synthesizes very complex information into understandable, readable and interesting text. This book should become the "go to" book for all custody evaluators, both beginners looking for a guide, and for experienced evaluators needing a refresher or a reference. I have his two other professional books, but like this one the best.