Today in the Seattle P-I: Families' futures decided with little oversight
Since we wrote about custodial and non-custodial parents in the June & July issues of the A Wild Ride Blog, I thought some of you might find this article in today's Seattle Post-Intelligencer of interest. Reporter Claudia Rowe uncovered a signiicant issue facing many Washington state divorced parents as they attempt to do right by the children.
In her article, Families' futures decided with little oversight. Parent evaluators set own fees while wielding enormous power, Claudia reports:
In the field of family law, a little-examined group of professionals has enough influence to separate fathers from children and relegate mothers to weekends-only status, based on little more than an opinion.
So-called parent evaluators need no particular credentials or training. They may use any method they wish, charge what they please and remain virtually free of oversight. Yet their word can upend families in a single stroke.
In recent decades, as dockets have become clogged with warring parents battling for custody of their children, overwhelmed judges have turned increasingly toward this cluster of psychologists and social workers for guidance. But as there is almost no check on their influence, any human foible might result in a faulty or unfair report -- with enormous implications for those families under the microscope.
Claudia goes on to say: In June, after a decade of discussion, the board adopted newly binding regulations for psychologists working as parent evaluators. They must now document the reasons behind each recommendation, provide a written breakdown of fees and be free of previous relationships with either parent. Violating any of these conditions could be grounds for license suspension.
Note: This new law only applies to psychologists and does not apply to social workers or anyone else who may present themselves as evaluators.
To read the parent-evaluator regulations for psychologists, visit Rules . Go to page three.
Read more of Claudia's story.
