When parents separate or divorce, children often have ideas about where they want to live and what parenting plan will work best for them. A Voice of the Child assessment gives them a chance to talk about how their parents’ separation or divorce has affected them. It also gives them an opportunity to have their views and perspectives heard regarding their living arrangements and the parenting-time schedule.

A Voice of the Child assessment can be completed with the consent of both parents or by a Court Order. Sometimes the assessment helps parents negotiate parenting plans or resolve disputes without having to go to Court. When a judge orders the assessment, the Order often specifies what the Court is inquiring about. For example, the Court may ask for information on the children’s views, interests, and perspectives regarding the parenting-time arrangement and the reasons for the children’s statements. When an assessment is ordered, parents may also be eligible for funding through the Court-Ordered Evaluation Support Program, and I am an approved vendor for that program.

What to Expect

Children are interviewed individually without parents or caregivers present. The interviews are not clinical or therapeutic. Parents are not interviewed, and Court documents are not reviewed as part of a Voice of the Child process.

A report is prepared based on the information shared by the children, but recommendations about parenting time are not typically offered.