20 Hours / 20 CEs

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on Forensic Psychological Assessment in Custody Litigation: Conceptual Issues, Data Integration, and Advanced Topics 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 presents instruction on interviewing methods designed to yield data most relevant to the issues before the court, and on the processes to be employed in integrating those data with data obtained through the administration of formal assessment instruments. Basic concepts of psychological assessment are discussed, with emphasis on test selection criteria, reliability, validity (in its various forms), and how testing conditions affect the reliability and validity of test data. Suggestions are offered for effectively explaining assessment findings in reports.

Presenters discuss data integration—the process of comparing and contrasting information from different data sources. Emphasis is placed on providing effective explanations, in reports and testimony, of how test data were used in developing recommendations. Criteria to be employed in selecting formal assessment instruments are presented.

The presenters discuss configural analysis, hypothesis testing, methods for considering situational variables, response style issues, the use of computer-based test interpretations (CBTIs), and practitioner interpretation.

Learning Objectives

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

  • 1 Describe the role of the standard error of measurement in the interpretation of test data
  • 2 Describe the ways in which factors such as time of day of test administration can contribute to random error
  • 3 Describe the benefits of reviewing test responses with test-takers
  • 4 Describe the significant shortcomings of several often-used tests
  • 5 Describe the distinction between the direct assessment of parenting and the assessment through the use of structured assessment measure of variables related to parenting skills
  • 6 Describe the relevant factors to be considered in the selection of psychological testing
  • 7 Describe the difference between normative data and context-specific base-rate data
  • 8 Describe the ways in which measures of response style can be most effectively used in the interpretation of custody litigants’ test data
  • 9 Describe the manner in which psychological test data are integrated with data obtained through other sources in custody evaluations
  • 10 Describe methods for effectively explaining test data and interpretations in reports and testimony

  • Intended Audience

    This training is intended for clinicians and legal professionals seeking to strengthen their skills in forensic assessment, data integration, and report writing, with a focus on best practices and effective communication of findings in legal contexts. It is particularly relevant for those specializing in forensic psychology, clinical assessment, legal-psychology consultation, and for attorneys involved in family law or child custody litigation, as well as mental health professionals who conduct or plan to conduct forensic evaluations.


    Examples of Relevant Professionals:
    • Forensic psychologists
    • Clinical psychologists
    • Legal-psychology consultants
    • Mental health professionals
    • Attorneys representing plaintiffs or defendants in family court
    • Family law practitioners involved in child custody litigation

  • Experience Level

    This training is appropriate for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals at varying levels of experience with psychological assessment and forensic interviewing in custody litigation contexts.

    • Beginner: Participants with limited experience in forensic assessment or court-involved interviewing who are seeking foundational knowledge of assessment concepts, test selection, and data integration.

    • Intermediate: Participants with some experience conducting psychological assessments or custody evaluations who wish to deepen their understanding of integrating multiple data sources, addressing response style issues, and effectively communicating findings in reports and testimony.

    • Advanced: Participants with substantial experience in forensic assessment and custody litigation who are looking to refine advanced skills in configural analysis, hypothesis testing, and nuanced interpretation of complex assessment data.

  • Practice Setting

    Professionals practice at the intersection of clinical care and the legal system, conducting court-relevant interviews, administering standardized assessments, and integrating data into clear, defensible reports and testimony. They work in structured, ethically governed environments that emphasize confidentiality, impartiality, and collaboration with courts, attorneys, and child welfare stakeholders.

    Examples of Practice Settings:

    • Court-affiliated family court or custody evaluation units
    • Private forensic assessment and consultation practices
    • Hospital or academic medical center assessment clinics
    • University-based clinics offering forensic services
    • Child advocacy or child protection multidisciplinary centers
    • Community mental health programs serving court-referred clients
    • Correctional or detention behavioral health services
    • Government agencies (probation, child protective services) requiring evaluations
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.



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Earning a Certificate

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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.