Specialized services for complex family matters.
Custody evaluations, dispute-resolution services, and integrated mental health and substance use assessments require careful inquiry, informed analysis, and a clear understanding of family dynamics.
Custody Evaluations
Comprehensive, child-focused evaluations addressing statutory best-interest factors, parenting capacity, and complex family dynamics.
Mediation and ADR
Structured dispute-resolution processes that help families and counsel clarify issues, explore options, and work toward durable agreements.
Integrated Diagnostic Assessments
Focused assessment of mental health and substance use, examining the nexus between clinical findings, current functioning, and the parenting or family-law concerns presented.
Inquire About a Custody Evaluation
Custody Evaluations
Neutral, child-focused custody evaluations for families and courts facing significant parenting questions.
A custody evaluation brings together interviews, observations, records, collateral information, and Minnesota’s statutory best-interest factors to help the court understand the family’s circumstances.
Each evaluation is designed around the questions presented in the court order. Particular attention may be given to parenting capacity, children’s developmental and emotional needs, family relationships, mental health, substance use, domestic abuse, and other concerns affecting the children’s best interests.
Integrated Mental Health & Substance Use Diagnostic Assessment.
Not every question about a parent’s mental health or substance use requires a comprehensive psychological evaluation or broad personality testing. The assessment method should be matched to the specific clinical and family-law questions presented.
This focused diagnostic assessment examines mental health symptoms, substance-use patterns, treatment history, current functioning, and relevant risk and protective factors. It then considers the nexus between those findings and the concerns at issue, including judgment, emotional regulation, consistency, safety, responsiveness to a child’s needs, and the ability to maintain stable parenting routines.
A diagnosis alone does not establish impaired parenting. The goal is to determine whether an identified clinical condition has a meaningful functional impact and to provide clear, well-supported recommendations when treatment, monitoring, recovery support, or risk-reduction measures may be appropriate.
When broader psychological, personality, cognitive, or other specialized testing is necessary, referral for additional evaluation may be recommended.
Mediation and ADR
Neutral, evaluative dispute-resolution services that combine careful preparation, informed feedback, and practical problem-solving.
I help participants clarify the issues, assess potential risks and options, and understand how proposed solutions may affect their children and family over time. When appropriate, the process can include individual preparation and coaching so each participant is better able to communicate clearly, evaluate choices, and engage productively in settlement discussions.
Services may include mediation, Social Early Neutral Evaluation, child-inclusive ADR, and facilitated settlement conferences. Each process is tailored to the family’s circumstances, the decisions to be made, and the needs of the children.
Fees and anticipated scope are discussed during the inquiry process and confirmed in writing before services begin.