Psychological evaluation

[luckystepmom]

Mom's lawyer insisted that as Dad's wife, I be evaluated as well.  Dad insisted that Mom's parents be evaluated since they supposedly watch child when Mom is away.  Before attending our psychological evaluations, we recieved a letter from the psycholgist stating that both parents and their spouse or "significant other" need to be evaluated and that payment must be recieved before any appointments begin.  We were supposed to have to appointments one for hubby and me, the other for hubby, me and child.  

For our first appointment the psychologist showed up 15 min. late.  Once she was set-up she told us she had not recieved our payment.  We told her we had given it to our lawyer weeks ago.  She had us call our lawyer, she then spoke to the lawyer looked around her office and turns out she had recieved our check so we began the evaluation.  When she sent us to the waiting room to fill out our 5 tests she was in with other clients, meanwhile one of their children was in the waiting room with us.  One of the test she gave us was a Children's Problems Checklist for ages 5-12, our case was about a child who was not yet 3.  When the psychologist was finished with her other clients she came into the waiting room, Dad had already filled out that test, but I didn't get to it yet.  Dad pointed out to psychologist that the test really didn't pertain to our case.  He had checked problems such as "does not know left from right", but didn't think a child of 2 1/2 should know their left from right.  The psychologist said Dad was correct and she would not take that test into consideration, consequently, I did not fill mine out or even put my name on it.  The psychologist then told us she had a flight to catch for her vacation and left us instructions on how to lock up and left us there alone.  

Our second appointment was scheduled for an hour after Mom's appt. with the child.  We met for the 4 of us to have lunch between her appt. and ours.  Mom told us child had a cold and was cranky and uncooperative during her appt.  When we entered the psychologists office she also warned us that child had a cold and was had not been very cooperative with Mom.  Child was very good with us, she played velcro darts with both my husband and myself as well as asking the psychologist to play with us.  She said she was hungry and when we gave her some animal crackers she wanted to share with everyone in the room.  We were very impressed by her behavior, especially since she tends to be shy around strangers.

 A week after this appointment we put Mom through a deposition.  In it they discussed her case information statement.  She stated that she still owed the psychologist payment for her interviews, but the number was incorrect because she would owe more when she needed the psychologist to come in a testify.  We had not recieved the psychologists report at this time.  Her lawyer interupted her testimony and a conversation between them took place off the record.  Our lawyer also questioned her on the boyfriend that Dad had found out about through the psychologist.  She stated that they were serious "as in discussing engagement".  He had not been interviewed by the psychologist.  

When we recieved the evaluation, the Friday before our Monday court date (our lawyer had to call and request that she fax him the report immediately)  She had reported that Mom should have custody of the child.  Her reasoning included that Dad (and myself) did not have a clear understanding of what to expect from a child of that age based on the Children's problem worksheet the one that was for children ages 5-12.  Meanwhile the fact that Dad hadmarried, started his own business, and bought a house should not make him better suited then Mom because he was 26 and was expected to do these things.  She also stated that Mom not being able to hold down a job for more than 6 mo., still living with her parents and sharing a bedroom with child and has made mistakes in not informing Dad about important issues in child's life should not be held against her because she is only 21.  The psychologist report as well as the depostion both state that the only auxilary care giver on that side of the child's family is the grandmother of the child.  Since those reports my husband has learned of two times the child was left in the care of the mom's sister and 16 yr. old brother.  Help please!

[Brent]

I read your post, but I'm unclear on what it is you're looking for specifically. If you're looking to overturn the evaluation, get your complaint on record immediately. These may help:

Overturning Parenting Evaluations
http://www.deltabravo.net/custody/overturn.htm

Questioning The Mental Health Expert's Custody Report
http://www.deltabravo.net/custody/turkat3.htm

Again, I don't know if this is what you're looking for; could you clarify?

[luckystepmom]

Mom's lawyer insisted that as Dad's wife, I be evaluated as well.  Dad insisted that Mom's parents be evaluated since they supposedly watch child when Mom is away.  Before attending our psychological evaluations, we recieved a letter from the psycholgist stating that both parents and their spouse or "significant other" need to be evaluated and that payment must be recieved before any appointments begin.  We were supposed to have to appointments one for hubby and me, the other for hubby, me and child.  

For our first appointment the psychologist showed up 15 min. late.  Once she was set-up she told us she had not recieved our payment.  We told her we had given it to our lawyer weeks ago.  She had us call our lawyer, she then spoke to the lawyer looked around her office and turns out she had recieved our check so we began the evaluation.  When she sent us to the waiting room to fill out our 5 tests she was in with other clients, meanwhile one of their children was in the waiting room with us.  One of the test she gave us was a Children's Problems Checklist for ages 5-12, our case was about a child who was not yet 3.  When the psychologist was finished with her other clients she came into the waiting room, Dad had already filled out that test, but I didn't get to it yet.  Dad pointed out to psychologist that the test really didn't pertain to our case.  He had checked problems such as "does not know left from right", but didn't think a child of 2 1/2 should know their left from right.  The psychologist said Dad was correct and she would not take that test into consideration, consequently, I did not fill mine out or even put my name on it.  The psychologist then told us she had a flight to catch for her vacation and left us instructions on how to lock up and left us there alone.  

Our second appointment was scheduled for an hour after Mom's appt. with the child.  We met for the 4 of us to have lunch between her appt. and ours.  Mom told us child had a cold and was cranky and uncooperative during her appt.  When we entered the psychologists office she also warned us that child had a cold and was had not been very cooperative with Mom.  Child was very good with us, she played velcro darts with both my husband and myself as well as asking the psychologist to play with us.  She said she was hungry and when we gave her some animal crackers she wanted to share with everyone in the room.  We were very impressed by her behavior, especially since she tends to be shy around strangers.

 A week after this appointment we put Mom through a deposition.  In it they discussed her case information statement.  She stated that she still owed the psychologist payment for her interviews, but the number was incorrect because she would owe more when she needed the psychologist to come in a testify.  We had not recieved the psychologists report at this time.  Her lawyer interupted her testimony and a conversation between them took place off the record.  Our lawyer also questioned her on the boyfriend that Dad had found out about through the psychologist.  She stated that they were serious "as in discussing engagement".  He had not been interviewed by the psychologist.  

When we recieved the evaluation, the Friday before our Monday court date (our lawyer had to call and request that she fax him the report immediately)  She had reported that Mom should have custody of the child.  Her reasoning included that Dad (and myself) did not have a clear understanding of what to expect from a child of that age based on the Children's problem worksheet the one that was for children ages 5-12.  Meanwhile the fact that Dad hadmarried, started his own business, and bought a house should not make him better suited then Mom because he was 26 and was expected to do these things.  She also stated that Mom not being able to hold down a job for more than 6 mo., still living with her parents and sharing a bedroom with child and has made mistakes in not informing Dad about important issues in child's life should not be held against her because she is only 21.  The psychologist report as well as the depostion both state that the only auxilary care giver on that side of the child's family is the grandmother of the child.  Since those reports my husband has learned of two times the child was left in the care of the mom's sister and 16 yr. old brother.  Help please!

[Brent]

I read your post, but I'm unclear on what it is you're looking for specifically. If you're looking to overturn the evaluation, get your complaint on record immediately. These may help:

Overturning Parenting Evaluations
http://www.deltabravo.net/custody/overturn.htm

Questioning The Mental Health Expert's Custody Report
http://www.deltabravo.net/custody/turkat3.htm

Again, I don't know if this is what you're looking for; could you clarify?