What is the current state of professional practice among child custody evaluators, and how congruent is current practice with the 1994 American Psychological Association (APA) "Guidelines for Child Custody Evaluations in Divorce Proceedings" (APA Guidelines; APA, 1994)? A national survey of 198 psychologists revealed a high degree of training and experience among respondents and an increased understanding of procedural issues. Evaluators reported using multiple sources of data collection, critical decision-making skills, and knowledge of ethical, legal, and risk management issues. Overall, child custody evaluations appear to have become more sophisticated and comprehensive during the past 15 years, with current practices and procedures adhering to APA Guidelines.Courts are increasingly relying on expert witness testimony in child custody cases (Mason & Quirk, 1997), owing perhaps to the complexities of such cases and the special issues facing the court, such as allegations of substance abuse, domestic violence, physical or sexual abuse, and mental illness. By far, the most common types of expert witnesses in child custody cases are psychologists (Mason & Quirk, 1997). As a result, psychologists' practices, procedures, and decision-making in this process, in addition to the rationale used to formulate recommendations to the court, are subject to the scrutiny of the court and to the challenge of the judicial process.Child custody evaluations are among the most difficult in the forensic field; conflict and animosity between the parties, the emotional charge underlying even simple issues, and the necessity of attempting to balance obligations among all parties can create ethical dilemmas. Furthermore, performing such evaluations requires knowledge of the legal system and expertise in a variety of areas, including child development and psychopathology, adult adjustment and psychopathology, family systems, and special cus-JAMES N. Bow received his PhD from the University of Michigan. He

This study explored the congruency between child custody evaluations and the needs of the legal profession. One hundred twenty‐one judges and attorneys were surveyed. In general, both groups expressed similar attitudes and beliefs. Findings indicated that court‐ordered evaluations were most useful, and objectivity was paramount. Judges and attorneys also expressed a need for improvements in child custody reports, particularly greater child focus, provision of custody and visitation recommendations, discussion of legal criteria, and timely completion of evaluations. It is hoped that the findings will inform professional practice and help evaluators better serve the needs of the family court.

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There has been an increased focus on child custody evaluations involving domestic violence allegations with much criticism of evaluators' training, practices, and procedures. A national survey of 115 child custody evaluators (doctoral and master's level) was conducted to explore these criticisms. Findings revealed adequate training, multiple sources of data collection, and practices/procedures that closely adhere to child custody guidelines. However, robust, specialized domestic violence instruments, tests, and questionnaires were underutilized. Respondents indicated that findings supporting domestic violence allegations had a substantial impact on their subsequent recommendations. Results are discussed in terms of the importance of assessing domestic violence when conducting custody evaluations and the need for developing practice standards in this domain. Generally, results did not support common criticisms of custody evaluation practice.