Can expert witnesses be used in custody battles?
Because of their lack of familiarity and formal training in the field, often times judges will put much stock in the testimony and written recommendations of experts in custody disputes. Experts in the field of child psychiatry or psychology or mental health will perform custody evaluations of the family with written conclusions and recommendations to the court based on their observations. The evaluations will cover the activities of each parent, the home life, parenting skills, relationships to the child, and the childs feelings and preferences. One of two possible outcomes will occur: the recommendation of the professional will be accepted by all parties (judges, Lawyers, parents) or everyone goes off to court to let the judge make the decision.
