20 Hours / 20 CEs

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on Conducting Parenting Plan Evaluations in Family Law Cases is presented by David Martindale, PhD, ABPP (Forensic), and Christopher Mulchay, PhD, ABPP.

This program provides an introduction to and an overview of parenting plan evaluations. The presenters address relocation requests; allegations of intimate partner violence and coercive control; allegations of child sexual abuse; and parent-child contact problems. Participants learn how to conduct forensic interviews of adults and children; systematically observe parent-child interactions, select appropriate assessment instruments, and administer and interpret the data from psychological tests. Report writing, testimony, and risk management procedures will also be addressed.

This program is designed for Mental health professionals, family law attorneys, and judicial officers will find this program useful regardless of their experience level. This program is intended for mental health professionals who perform parenting plan evaluations, family law attorneys, and judicial officers.

Learning Objectives

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

  • 1 Describe the key elements of an evaluator’s Explanation of Policies, Procedures, and Fees
  • 2 Describe the distinctions between clinical and forensic interviewing
  • 3 Describe the means by which evaluators can maximize the usefulness of collateral source information
  • 4 Describe the essential elements of a custody evaluation report
  • 5 Describe the key elements of effective direct testimony
  • 6 Describe the pertinent factors to be considered in parents’ requests to relocate
  • 7 Describe the steps to be taken in investigating allegations of intimate partner violence
  • 8 Describe the essential elements of effective child forensic interviewing
  • 9 Describe the distinctions between alienation, estrangement, alignment, and visitation resistance

  • Intended Audience

    This program is designed for licensed mental health professionals, psychologists, family law attorneys, and judicial officers involved in forensic practice, particularly in family law. It is especially relevant for those conducting custody evaluations, child welfare assessments, parenting plan evaluations, or serving as expert witnesses.

    Examples of Relevant Professionals:

    • Mental Health Professionals
    • Psychologists
    • Family Law Attorneys
    • Judicial Officers

  • Experience Level

    This training is structured to be relevant across experience levels, from those new to parenting plan evaluations to seasoned professionals refining specialized forensic skills.

    • Beginner: Licensed or pre-licensed mental health professionals who are new to parenting plan evaluations and want foundational guidance on the forensic mindset, basic forensic interviewing of adults and children, parent–child observation, and core documentation and risk-management practices.

    • Intermediate: Clinicians who have conducted some evaluations and are seeking to strengthen consistency and defensibility in interviewing, collateral data integration, test selection/administration and interpretation, and report writing, including addressing relocation and parent–child contact problems.

    • Advanced: Experienced evaluators and expert witnesses who want to refine complex case analysis and testimony related to allegations of intimate partner violence and coercive control, child sexual abuse, and other high-conflict dynamics, while sharpening risk management and best practices for court-focused communication.

  • Practice Setting

    Practitioners operate in court-connected, forensic evaluation, and child-welfare-oriented environments that require neutral assessments, structured interviews and observations, appropriate test selection/administration, and defensible reporting and testimony.

    Work is conducted under strict ethical and risk-management standards to address relocation disputes, intimate partner violence/coercive control, alleged child sexual abuse, and parent–child contact problems.

    Examples of Practice Settings:

    • Family and dependency courts (court services, judicial chambers, deposition/courtroom testimony)
    • Private forensic mental health practices and multidisciplinary clinics
    • Child welfare agencies and custody evaluation units
    • Family law firms and legal aid organizations
    • Hospital or community behavioral health programs with forensic services

Training Instructors:

David A. Martindale, PhD, ABPP (Forensic)

David A. Martindale, PhD, ABPP (Forensic)

David A. 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.

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Christopher Mulchay, PhD, ABPP

Christopher Mulchay, PhD, ABPP

Chris Mulchay, PhD, ABPP, is the co-author of The Family Law Professional's Field Guide to High-Conflict Litigation: Dynamics, Not Diagnoses. With Jonathan Gould, Dr. Mulchay has co-authored APA's new book on Parenting Plan Evaluations, along with chapters on child custody in both The Oxford Handbook of Psychology and Law (2023) and APA Handbook of Psychology and Law (2025). Dr. Mulchay has also reviewed tests for the Journal of Pediatric Neuropsychology. Dr. Mulchay is board certified in forensic psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology. He is a Fellow in the American Academy of Forensic Psychologists.

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Earning a Certificate

This is a badge-earning program, which means it will help you earn a certificate that can be showcased on digital platforms like LinkedIn.
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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).


Sponsorship Approval Statements

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), is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7190. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Palo Alto University, #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. Palo Alto University 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. Continuing and Professional Studies, Palo Alto University, is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0103. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT), 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. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies, is recognized by 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.