CD, Section VIIIb: Collateral Information—Non-Professionals
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SECTION
VIIIb
Collateral Information – Non-Professionals
This section contains the following forms for collecting information from nonprofessionals

Letter to Friends, Relatives, and Community Members

Consent Form for Non-Professional Collaterals

Questions for Friends, Relatives, and Community Members

Interview for Friends, Relatives, and Community Members
In a child custody evaluation, the designation “professional” refers to the
informant’s relationship to the individuals and family being evaluated. When someone
with a professional job offers information on a personal basis (e.g. as a friend, relative,
neighbor, or member of a party’s religious community), they should be treated as a nonprofessional for the purposes of the custody evaluation.
Most of the forms in this section are designed to standardize contacts and
interviews with non-professionals. In reviewing evaluations, it is important to ascertain
whether the evaluator used a structured set of questions to standardize the collection of
both written and oral materials. Such standardization is the best way to increase
convergent validity, because it is possible to compare the answers that different
individuals gave to the same questions.
Chapter 13 explains why it is useful to have all non-professional collaterals sign a
Consent Form similar to the one reproduced here. Reviewers should ensure that
third-party sources understood the purpose of offering information to the custody
evaluator. Although evaluators are not legally required to use a Consent Form for this
purpose, using a form similar to the one in this section should help to ensure that the
non-professional sources were fully informed and were not coerced into offering
information to the evaluator. If a written Consent Form is not used, the evaluator
should be sure to use a standardized oral warning about the lack of confidentiality in
CD, Section VIIIb: Collateral Information – Non-Professionals
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their interviews. Examples of oral non-confidentiality warnings are contained in Boxes
16 and 17 in Chapter 5.
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LETTER TO FRIENDS, RELATIVES, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS
[LETTERHEAD OF CUSTODY EVALUATOR]
[Date]
[Name]
[Street Address]
[City/Town, State, Zip Code]
RE:
[Name of Case]
[Name of Court]
Docket No. 00000000
Dear [Mr./Ms. Name]:
I am a psychologist appointed by the [Name of Court] to do a child custody evaluation in
the [Name of Case] child custody dispute. As part of my evaluation,
I need to learn about the [Family Name]’s marital relationship, parenting style, and
participation in their community.
Both [Name of Parent #1] and [Name of Parent #2] told me that you have known them
for some time, and asked me to talk with you about their family. I am enclosing copies
of the following:
 Release of Information forms signed by both parents
 Questions for Family Members, Friends, Relatives, and Community Members
 Consent Form
The questions will give you an idea of the type of information I am seeking. Please sign
the enclosed Consent Form and mail it to me at the address above. After I have
received it, I will call to arrange a phone interview with you.
Thank you very much for your assistance.
Sincerely,
[Name and Credential of Evaluator]
[Title]
[Facility]
Enc.
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CONSENT FORM FOR NON-PROFESSIONAL COLLATERALS
[LETTERHEAD OF EVALUATOR – including contact information for evaluator]
CONSENT FOR PROVIDING INFORMATION
FOR CHILD CUSTODY EVALUATION
Name of Case:________________________________________
Court:__________________________________________
Docket No.:_____________________________________
Person providing information:
Name:__________________________________________
Address:________________________________________
__________________________________________
Telephone:______________________________________
Email:__________________________________________
Relationship to parties in custody evaluation:
_______________________________________________
I hereby acknowledge that I have been advised that all information that I provide during
the course of this child custody evaluation is not confidential insofar as a report
containing this information is expected to be presented to the [Name of Court]. If so
ordered by the Court, this report could be available for inspection by the attorneys
representing one or both parties in this matter and in some cases by the parties
themselves or any other individual authorized by the Court to obtain such information. I
acknowledge that I have the right to decline to answer any questions that the evaluator
might ask of me and that if I so decline, any report will indicate the same and any
reasons therefore, and that my cooperation in this matter is voluntary.
_______
Date
______
Date
____________________________________
Signature of Person providing information
___________________________________
Printed name of Person providing information
[Name and credential of evaluator]
____________________________________
Evaluator
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CHILD CUSTODY EVALUATIONS – QUESTIONS FOR FRIENDS,
RELATIVES, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS
These questions are not exhaustive, but should give you an idea of the type of
information that I need to obtain from people who know the child(ren) and other
family members who are undergoing a child custody evaluation. I hope that they
will be useful to you in thinking about the family.
Before sending me materials or talking with me, please sign and return the
enclosed Consent Form which explains that all of the information you give me is
not confidential because it will be included in a written report that will be filed
with the Massachusetts Probate and Family Court.
Knowledge of/contact with child and family
1. How long and in what capacity have you known the child and the family?
2. How would you describe your relationship with each family member?
Description of family members
3. Please describe the mother. What is her personality like? Please give
examples.
4. Please describe the father. What is his personality like? Please give
examples.
5. Please describe each of the children. What kind of contact have you had
with them?
Interactions among family members
6. Please describe the relationship between the parents. Have you had the
opportunity to observe their typical interactions? Please give specific
examples.
7. Are the parents able to communicate and cooperate with each other now?
Please give examples.
8. What has the mother said to you about the father?
9. What has the father said to you about the mother?
10. Please describe the mother’s relationship with each of the children.
11. Please describe the father’s relationship with each of the children.
12. Do you know what each parent has told the children about the
separation/divorce?
13. How do the children get along with each other? Please give examples.
Observation of parenting
14. What is the mother’s parenting like? Please describe a typical mother/child
interaction.
15. What is the father’s parenting like? Please describe a typical father/child
interaction.
16. How does the mother discipline the children? Please give an example.
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17. How does the father discipline the children? Please give an example.
18. During the marriage, which parent took the primary responsibility for the dayto-day care of the children?
19. Do you have any concerns about the parenting in this family?
20. Is there anything else you would like to tell me?
21. Is there anyone else you think I should talk with about this family?
Once again, please be sure to sign and return the Consent Form enclosed.
Thank you very much for your help.
[Name and contact information for evaluator]
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CHILD CUSTODY EVALUATIONS – INTERVIEW FOR FRIENDS,
RELATIVES, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS
Name of case:____________________________________________________
Court:_____________________________________________________
Docket No.:_________________________________________________
Person providing Information________________________________________
Name:_____________________________________________________
Address:___________________________________________________
Telephone:_________________________________________________
Email:_____________________________________________________
Relationship to parties in custody evaluation:_______________________
___________________________________________________________
Date and time of interview:_________________________________________
Location of interview:______________________________________________
Other people present:_______________________________________________
WARNING OF LACK OF CONFIDENTIALITY GIVEN
Knowledge of/contact with child and family
1. How long and in what capacity have you known the child and the family?
2. How would you describe your relationship with each family member?
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Description of family members
3. Please describe the mother. What is her personality like? Please give
examples.
4. Please describe the father. What is his personality like? Please give
examples.
5. Please describe each of the children. What kind of contact have you had
with them?
Child#1:
Child#2
Child#3:
Child#4:
Interactions among family members
6. Please describe the relationship between the parents. Have you had the
opportunity to observe their typical interactions? Please give specific
examples.
7. Are the parents able to communicate and cooperate with each other now?
Please give examples.
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8. What has the mother said to you about the father?
9. What has the father said to you about the mother?
10. Please describe the mother’s relationship with each of the children.
Child #1:
Child #2:
Child #3:
Child #4:
11. Please describe the father’s relationship with each of the children.
Child #1:
Child #2:
Child #3:
Child #4:
12. Do you know what each parent has told the children about the
separation/divorce?
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13. How do the children get along with each other? Please give examples
.
Observation of parenting
14. What is the mother’s parenting like? Please describe a typical mother/child
interaction.
15. What is the father’s parenting like? Please describe a typical father/child
interaction.
16. How does the mother discipline the children? Please give an example.
17. How does the father discipline the children? Please give an example.
18. During the marriage, which parent took the primary responsibility for the dayto-day care of the children?
19. Do you have any concerns about the parenting in this family?
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20. Is there anything else you would like to tell me?
21. Is there anyone else you think I should talk with about this family?
[Name and contact information for evaluator]
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