Child custody consultation in abuse and neglect: a practical guide.

Mental health professionals are being asked with increasing frequency to consult to the courts regarding custody in cases of suspected abuse and neglect. This paper provides practical guidelines for evaluation of these families in order to maximize the effectiveness of consultation and minimize common pitfalls usually encountered with such evaluations. The authors offer suggestions for structuring the evaluation, dealing with family reisitances, writing the report and testifying in court. It is the hope that with such practical guidelines, other mental health professionals will be willing to attempt such consultations and will be able to structure them in such a way that they can be carried out efficiently and effectively, benefiting not only the courts, but the children and their families as well.