In King County, WA cases with Parenting in dispute will generally be assigned to a parenting evaluation.
This will help you handle the evaluation.
1
Appointing and Retaining the evaluator
Evaluators are usually appointed by the court at an initial hearing. Once contacted, most evaluators will send a questionnaire, request a a fee deposit, and require a contract. PROMPTLY RESPOND. The evaluator may negatively view an inability to handle these simple tasks. Work with your attorney, complete the forms, and pay the deposit. Your attorney will probably want to send the documents filed in the case, and may also want to send a letter letting the evaluator know your position. DO NOT act without coordinating with your attorney.
2
Keep it Simple
When completing the forms, avoid angry or accusatory answers-just state the facts. Keep your answers short. You should make each of your major points only once and reserve the minor points and the long explanations until later.
3
Collateral Contacts
The evaluator will probably ask for "collateral contacts". That just means they'd like to talk with witnesses that can support your position. Don't overwhelm the evaluator with a list of 50 names. Three to five names of people who have seen your parenting skills should suffice. Teachers and doctors are often viewed as reliable and neutral sources. It probably won't help the evaluator to talk with your mother and find that she loves you, but doesn't like your ex-spouse. Include close family if you have no other witnesses or the family has witnesses an incident that is being investigated
4
The Interview: Dress the Part - Act the Part
Make sure you put your best foot forward for the interview. The interview may be in your home, or at the evaluators office. Dress appropriately. If you are bringing a child, bring age appropriate reading or other activities. Bring snacks and juice for toddlers. You are not just there to answer questions, but to be observed. Make sure you give proper attention to the child(ren). Giving spectacular answers to questions isn't going to help if the evaluator observes you neglecting a child's needs. This stuff's hard to fake. If you are not really comfortable caring for the child you probably should be looking to settle the case before the report comes out.
5
Tell the truth
You can lose all of your credibility by lying about some small detail. Stick to the truth and you can't go wrong. Your case may not be as great as you wish - but lying will not only fail to make your case any better than it really is, but can destroy any chance you have at reaching your goals. If you have to lie to reach your goals you need to set more realistic your goals. If you have misbehaved in the past, you should recognize that you were wrong and make a real commitment to behave better.
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