4 Hours / 4 CEs

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on Forensic Psychological Consulting in Child Custody Litigation is presented by David Martindale, PhD, ABPP, in partnership with The American Academy of Forensic Psychology.

This program addresses forensic psychological consulting services to attorneys representing litigants in custody/access disputes. Emphasis is placed on techniques that likely maximize objectivity and minimize the effects of retention bias. 

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:

  • 1 Describe at least four services that can be offered by psychologists providing forensic psychological consulting services to attorneys
  • 2 Describe the sequential activities of consultants functioning as retained work product reviewers
  • 3 Describe the implications of securing information from the litigants who have been the subjects of reports being reviewed
  • 4 Describe at least 5 steps to be taken when issues linked to cultural diversity may play a role in the evaluative process

  • Intended Audience

    This advanced training is intended for experienced clinicians and legal professionals seeking specialized expertise in forensic psychological consulting for child custody and access disputes. It is highly relevant for those who conduct or plan to conduct forensic evaluations, as well as legal professionals involved in family court or child custody litigation. Participants will gain in-depth knowledge of best practices in forensic assessment, learn to critically evaluate psychological reports, and enhance their ability to interpret and challenge psychological evidence in legal settings.

    Job titles or roles:

    • Forensic Psychologist
    • Clinical Psychologist
    • Legal-Psychology Consultant
    • Mental Health Professional
    • Family Law Attorney
    • Legal Professional involved in child custody or access litigation
    • Legal Counsel representing plaintiffs or defendants in family court cases

  • Experience Level

    This training is designed for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals with varying levels of experience in forensic psychological consulting for custody/access disputes.

    Beginner:
    New to forensic psychological consulting; limited or no prior experience providing services to attorneys in custody/access cases; seeking foundational knowledge of consulting roles, objectivity techniques, and relevant assessment methods.

    Intermediate:
    Some experience with forensic consulting or related evaluations; familiar with basic interviewing, data integration, and report review; seeking to deepen understanding of work product review, cultural considerations, and minimizing retention bias.

    Advanced:
    Extensive experience in forensic psychological consulting; regularly engaged in complex custody/access cases; seeking advanced strategies for hypothesis testing, configural analysis, and addressing nuanced cultural and ethical issues.

  • Practice Setting

    Professionals in this field typically work in environments where legal and psychological expertise intersect, such as private forensic practices, multidisciplinary clinics, law firms, or court-appointed roles. Their work often involves collaboration with attorneys, judges, and other mental health professionals, and may require both in-office assessments and courtroom testimony. These settings demand strict adherence to ethical standards, objectivity, and the ability to communicate complex psychological findings to legal audiences.

    • Private forensic psychology practices specializing in family law cases
    • Multidisciplinary mental health clinics offering forensic assessment services
    • Law firms employing or consulting with mental health experts for custody litigation
    • Court-appointed expert panels or rosters for child custody evaluations
    • University-based legal clinics with forensic psychology consultation services
    • Government agencies or child protective services involved in custody/access disputes
    • Independent consulting roles providing work product review and expert testimony in family court

Presented By

David Martindale, PhD, ABPP, Consultant

David Martindale, Ph.D., ABPP (forensic) limits his practice to consulting with psychologists, attorneys, and state regulatory boards. He lectures regularly on issues pertaining to evaluations of comparative custodial suitability, served on the AFCC Child Custody Consulting Task Force, and was the Reporter for the AFCC Model Standards of Practice for Child Custody Evaluation.

View More Programs from this Presenter
David Martindale, PhD, ABPP

Training Outline

Key topics covered in this training include:

  • Interviewing methods

  • Data integration

  • Specific instruments

  • Configural analysis

  • Hypothesis testing

  • Computer-based interpretation

We are proud to partner with

American Academy of Forensic Psychology (AAFP)

American Academy of Forensic Psychology (AAFP)

We are proud to partner with the American Academy of Forensic Psychology (AAFP) for this training. AAFP is a non-profit organization of board-certified forensic psychologists whose mission is to contribute to the development and maintenance of forensic psychology as a specialized field of study, research, and practice. The Academy does this by providing high-quality continuing education workshops, providing a forum for the exchange of scientific information among its members, and conferring awards upon outstanding students and practitioners in the field of forensic psychology.

Learn More About Our Partner

CE Sponsorship Information

Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by, recognized by, or maintains sponsorship provider status with the following boards and agencies. We maintain responsibility for all content in our CE/CPD programs. For more information, visit here. 

  1. American Psychological Association (APA): Approved sponsor of continuing education for psychologists.

  2. Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB): Approved continuing education provider (ACE program, Provider #1480), 11/22/2023–11/22/2026.

  3. Canadian Psychological Association (CPA): Approved to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.

  4. National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC): Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP No. 7190).



Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), SW CPE is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0356 and the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0073. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6811. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CONCEPT Professional Training, #1480, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. CONCEPT Professional Training maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 11/22/23-11/22/26. Social workers completing this course receive (clinical or social work ethics) continuing education credits.