What You Need to Know About 730 Evaluations
It is common for California family courts to order parents involved in child custody cases to undergo a 730 Evaluation. Courts use these psychological evaluations to identify the best parent and ultimately decide which parent will have primary custodial responsibility of the children.
The 730 Evaluation is named according to its location in the Evidence Code which is Section 730.
The individual who conducts the 730 Evaluation is a trained therapist with extensive experience in family dynamics. The therapist will be able to conduct a comprehensive study of the family including the children. They evaluate how each family member interacts with the other members, particularly the children. It is their responsibility to provide sufficient information to the court so that the best interests of the children are met. The court will finalize child custody and visitation arrangements based, in part, on the information provided by the 730 Evaluation and recommendations from the therapist who may become a witness for either parent and required to testify in court about their findings.
730 Evaluations are associated with paternity, divorce, child custody, and guardianship cases that have been filed in California family law courts. The therapist usually submits a written report to the court in advance of court hearings which, if entered as evidence by the judge, can be refuted by the parents. The average cost of a 730 Evaluation starts at around $3,000.00.