LIVE: Conducting Parenting Plan Evaluations in Family Law Cases
February 5, 2026 - February 13, 2026 | 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM Pacific
February 5, 2026 - February 13, 2026
9:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Pacific
14 Hours | 14 CEs
$650 Registration | $600 Early Registration (through January 29th) | Live Virtual Training via Zoom
David A. Martindale, PhD, ABPP (Forensic) and Christopher Mulchay, PhD, ABPP, present a live virtual professional training program on Conducting Parenting Plan Evaluations in Family Law Cases.
This live virtual training takes place over four half-day sessions from 9:00 am - 12:30 pm PST / 12:00 pm - 3:30 pm EST each day.
This program provides an introduction and overview of custody and parenting evaluations and addresses advanced topics: relocation requests, allegations of intimate partner violence, child sexual abuse, and alienation. Participants learn how to conduct forensic interviews of adults and children, as well as how to observe their interactions, and administer and interpret psychological tests. Report writing, testimony, and risk management procedures are also addressed.
This program is designed for licensed mental health professionals—including psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and counselors—as well as family law attorneys and judicial officers who work in or are transitioning to forensic practice, particularly in family law settings. It is ideal for those conducting custody evaluations, performing child welfare assessments, or serving as expert witnesses.
Training Outline:
Days 1 & 2 – Introductory Topics
- Transitioning from clinical to forensic mindset
- Identifying and avoiding common forensic evaluation errors
- Risk management considerations in forensic practice
- Best practices for forensic record keeping
- Fundamentals of forensic interviewing techniques
- Techniques for interviewing children in forensic contexts
- Introduction to special topics in forensic interviewing
- Addressing issues related to relocation in family law
- Understanding and managing parent-child contact problems
Days 3 & 4 – Advanced Topics
- Continued exploration of special topics in forensic interviewing
- Understanding intimate partner violence (IPV) and coercive control in custody cases
- Evaluating child sexual abuse allegations within a forensic framework
- Enhancing assessments through effective use of collateral source data
- Conducting and interpreting parent-child observations
- Applying formal psychological assessment tools in forensic evaluations
- Structuring and writing comprehensive forensic reports
- Preparing for and effectively delivering expert testimony in court
Intended Audience
This live program is intended for mental health and other allied professionals.
Experience Level
This live program is appropriate for beginner, intermediate, and advanced level clinicians.
CE / CPD Credit
APA, ASWB, CPA, NBCC: Click here for state and other regional board approvals.
Presented By
David A. Martindale, PhD, ABPP
David A. Martindale, Ph.D., ABPP (forensic) limits his practice to consulting with psychologists, attorneys, and state regulatory boards. He regularly lectures on issues pertaining to evaluations of comparative custodial suitability, served on the AFCC Child Custody Consulting Task Force, and was th...
Presented By
Christopher Mulchay, PhD, ABPP
Chris Mulchay, PhD, ABPP, is the co-author of The Family Law Professional's Field Guide to High-Conflict Litigation: Dynamics, Not Diagnoses. With Jonathan Gould, Dr. Mulchay has co-authored APA's new book on Parenting Plan Evaluations, along with chapters on child custody in both The Oxford Handboo...
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this program you will be able to:
Describe the key elements of an evaluator’s Explanation of Policies, Procedures, and Fees
Describe the distinctions between clinical and forensic interviewing
Describe the means by which evaluators can maximize the usefulness of collateral source information
Describe the essential elements of a custody evaluation report
Describe the key elements of effective direct testimony
Describe the pertinent factors to be considered in parents’ requests to relocate
Describe the steps to be taken in investigating allegations of intimate partner violence
Describe the essential elements of effective child forensic interviewing
Describe the distinctions between alienation, estrangement, alignment, and visitation resistance
Live Event Policy
Registration for our live events is covered for one (1) person per purchase. If you would like to purchase for a group, please contact our group training team.
Event Communications
When registering, use an email that is active and that you check regularly. We are not responsible for communications not being received; if you do not add caps@paloaltou.edu to your email safe sender list, our emails are likely to end up in your spam or junk folders.
Cancellation Policy
Have a sudden change of plans and are unable to attend live? No worries; you will be given access to the on-demand version of the program once available. Please note if you attend live, no access to the recording will be given.
Event Conduct
Professional conduct is expected during our live programs. Our goal is to make our events as interactive as possible for all participants. We reserve the right to remove any participants who are disruptive, act unprofessionally, or who we are unable to verify their purchase.
Develop a Specialty Area of Practice
Transforming mental health professionals into experts
Expert Instructors
Professional training developed and delivered by the field's leading experts
CE Credit
Earn CE credit for meaningful professional training that will elevate your practice
Convenience & Flexibility
Learn at your own pace, from wherever you might be!
