Abstract
Psychologist helps state authorities by decisions about child care arrangements by using knowledge of his discipline. Findings of the expertise are often accepted by the court without objections and become clue to important decisions.
So the psychologist has considerable responsibility. Psychologist is looking for the solution which is in best interest of the child.
It is an unpleasant reality such a solution always harms one or another parent. It is problem in our republic we do not have guidelines for child custody evaluations.
This paper wants to inspire formulation of obligatory recommendation for child custody evaluation. We think the possible clue for formulation of binding recommendations for custody evaluation is publication and comment of recommended procedures published by American psychological association.
Our paper enumerates and comments those procedures, points out pitfalls and most frequent difficulties of child custody evaluations and gives recommendation how to avoid them. It accents the interest of parents to have contact with their children.
But priority is the best interest of the child. Our paper reckons conditions leading to limitation or exclusion of custody.
It stresses necessity of emotionally balanced professional process of working out the child custody assessment. It deals with necessary competencies of the evaluating expert, with methods used and economic questions.