20 Hours / 20 CEs

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on Evaluation for Child Custody is presented by David A. Martindale, PhD, ABPP.  This badge-earning program can be shared digitally on platforms like LinkedIn or your resume and counts towards a certificate. Enroll in this program to earn credit towards the Child Custody Evaluation Certificate and share your new digital credentials with prospective employers and colleagues.

This program provides an introduction to and an overview of custody and parenting evaluations and addresses advanced topics, including relocation requests, allegations of intimate partner violence, child sexual abuse, and alienation. Participants learn how to effectively manage pre-evaluation contacts with attorneys, litigants, and the court; develop a detailed statement of understanding; and conduct forensic interviews of adults and children. Report writing, testimony, and risk management procedures are also addressed.


Learning Objectives

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

  • 1 Describe how to effectively manage pre-evaluation contacts with attorneys, litigants, and the court
  • 2 Describe how to develop a detailed statement of understanding
  • 3 Describe how to conduct forensic interviews of adults and children
  • 4 Describe evaluations that involve relocation requests
  • 5 Describe the importance of record keeping and report writing procedures
  • 6 Describe testimony procedures
  • 7 Describe the importance of record keeping
  • 8 Describe the factors to consider in selecting assessment instruments
  • 9 Describe the goals of psychological testing
  • 10 Describe risk management procedures

  • Intended Audience

    This training is intended for professionals involved in child custody and family court evaluations, providing comprehensive education on the evaluation process, legal considerations, and best practices. It is designed for those specializing in or interested in the intersection of mental health and legal issues in family court, including both clinicians and attorneys who collaborate on child custody cases or wish to add child custody evaluation to their practice.

    Examples of Relevant Professionals:

    • Mental health professionals (psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, counselors)
    • Clinicians specializing in child custody and family court evaluations
    • Attorneys involved in child custody and family court cases
    • Legal practitioners collaborating with mental health professionals on custody matters

  • Experience Level

    This training is appropriate for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals at various stages of experience in custody and parenting evaluations.

    • Beginner: Participants new to custody and parenting evaluations who seek foundational knowledge of pre-evaluation contacts, statements of understanding, and basic forensic interviewing.

    • Intermediate: Participants with some experience in custody evaluations who wish to deepen their skills in conducting forensic interviews, addressing relocation requests, and understanding report writing and testimony procedures.

    • Advanced: Participants with substantial experience in forensic evaluations who are looking to refine their expertise in complex cases involving intimate partner violence, child sexual abuse, alienation, and advanced risk management strategies.

  • Practice Setting

    Format Practice typically occurs in structured forensic and clinical environments connected to family courts, emphasizing objective assessment, documentation, and collaboration with legal stakeholders. Day-to-day work includes confidential interviews of adults and children, collateral contacts, record review, report preparation, and courtroom testimony under strict legal and ethical standards.

    Examples of Practice Settings:

    • Private forensic mental health practices
    • Court-affiliated family court evaluation units or court-appointed evaluator panels
    • Child advocacy/forensic interview centers
    • Community mental health or hospital-based forensic programs
    • Family law firms and legal aid organizations handling custody matters
    • University training clinics offering custody/parenting evaluations
    • Government agencies collaborating with courts (e.g., child protective services)
    • Secure telehealth-based evaluation services
    • Supervised visitation or observation centers for parent–child contact observations
Presented By

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.

Training Outline

Key topics covered in this training include:

  • Essentials in the Evaluation for Child Custody
    Learn how to effectively manage pre-evaluation contacts with attorneys, litigants, and the court; how to develop a detailed statement of understanding; and how to conduct forensic interviews of adults and children.

  • Advanced Topics in Evaluation for Child Custody
    Focus on evaluations that involve relocation requests and allegations of intimate partner violence, child sexual abuse, and alienation.
    This section also addresses report writing, testimony, and risk management procedures.

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.
View Certificates

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.