Guide: Understanding Child Custody Evaluations

Understanding Custody Evaluations: What a Brief Focused Assessment (BFA) Is and What a Full Custody Evaluation Is

If you’re reading this, you may already be feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or exhausted. Family court processes, especially custody evaluations, can feel intimidating and deeply personal. If you’ve experienced relational abuse or prolonged conflict, these systems can also feel unsafe or confusing. You are not weak for feeling this way. Wanting to understand what’s happening and how decisions are made is a form of care for yourself and for your children.

This post is meant to gently explain what these evaluations are, why courts use them, and what they are not, so you can move forward with more clarity and less fear.

What Is a Brief Focused Assessment (BFA)?

A Brief Focused Assessment is a limited, issue-specific evaluation used by family courts when there are a small number of unresolved custody questions. It is designed to help the court move forward without reopening every part of a family’s history.

A BFA typically focuses on one or two specific issues. These often include legal custody decisions such as who makes major decisions for the children, access to therapy or medical care, or a discrete scheduling issue like summer or holiday time.

A BFA is not a full custody evaluation and is not meant to decide everything about a family.

What a BFA Usually Involves

A BFA often includes a review of court filings and prior professional reports. It usually involves interviews with each parent and limited contact with existing professionals such as therapists or prior evaluators. In some cases, previously completed psychological evaluations are considered if they are relevant.

After gathering this information, the evaluator provides narrow recommendations that respond only to the specific questions the court asked.

Because it is focused and contained, a BFA is often shorter, less invasive, and less costly than a full custody evaluation.

What a BFA Is Not

A BFA is not a character judgment. It is not a retrial of your entire relationship or parenting history. It does not determine who is the better parent. It does not, by itself, make permanent custody decisions.

Its purpose is clarity, not punishment.

What Is a Full Custody Evaluation?

A full custody evaluation is much more comprehensive. Courts usually consider one only when there are serious and unresolved concerns affecting a child’s safety or long-term well-being.

A full evaluation often involves extensive interviews with both parents, psychological testing, and review of a large volume of records. It may include interviews with children depending on their age, conversations with multiple collateral professionals, and a detailed written report addressing custody and timeshare recommendations.

This process can take many months. It is often emotionally intense and financially burdensome for families.

Deciding Whether a Full Custody Evaluation Is Appropriate

Deciding whether to pursue or agree to a full custody evaluation is highly case-specific. There is no single right answer.

Because a full evaluation can significantly affect both parents and children, it is important to pause before making this decision. Courts and attorneys often consider the scope of the dispute, the family’s existing professional history, the emotional and financial cost to the children, and whether a narrower tool such as a BFA could address the issues instead.

For decisions of this magnitude, it is strongly recommended to seek guidance from more than one experienced family law attorney. Hearing multiple professional perspectives can help you understand the risks, benefits, and alternatives, especially in high-conflict cases.

Why Courts Often Prefer BFAs When Possible

In many situations, courts intentionally choose BFAs because they limit stress and exposure for children. They help protect the confidentiality of therapy and reduce the risk of evaluations being used as litigation tools. BFAs also focus on solutions rather than escalation.

When a family already has a history with qualified professionals, courts often rely on that existing record rather than starting over.

A Trauma-Informed Perspective

For parents who have experienced relational abuse or coercive control, custody evaluations can feel especially threatening. It is important to remember that an evaluation is not a measure of your worth as a parent. Courts look for patterns over time rather than perfection. Consistency, child-focused decisions, and respect for professional boundaries matter. Seeking therapy and support is generally viewed as protective, not harmful.

Feeling anxious about these processes is normal. Understanding them can help restore a sense of agency.

A Gentle Closing Note

Custody evaluations exist to help courts make decisions in the best interests of children. They are not meant to retraumatize parents or reward controlling behavior.

• You are allowed to ask questions.

• You are allowed to seek multiple opinions.

• You are allowed to protect your mental health.

  
  

At Her Ally, we believe that understanding systems is a form of empowerment and that no one should have to navigate them alone.