Be on time, be yourself
Evaluators expect nervousness — it is not held against you. Rehearsed answers read as rehearsed; honest ones read as honest.
For Parents & Families
A court-ordered evaluation is stressful. It shouldn’t also be a mystery.
If a judge has ordered a psychological or custody evaluation — or your attorney has recommended one — this page explains what actually happens, step by step, in plain language.
§ 01 · First, the honest part
What an evaluation is — and what it isn’t.
An evaluation is a structured way of giving the court accurate information about your family, using interviews, standardized testing, records, and observation. In California custody cases you may hear it called a “730 evaluation” — shorthand for an evaluation by a neutral expert the court appoints under Evidence Code section 730. It is not a test you can fail by being human, and it is not a punishment — courts order evaluations because they need better information than two competing accounts.
One thing you deserve to hear plainly: in a court-ordered evaluation, the evaluator is neutral. Dr. Campbell is not your advocate, and not the other side’s either. Her findings go where the evidence goes. Families are sometimes told an evaluator will "be on their side" — that is not how this works, and an evaluator who worked that way would be useless to you in court. What you can count on instead: a fair process, methods that meet professional standards, your perspective genuinely heard, and conclusions drawn from evidence rather than first impressions.
When a parent hires Dr. Campbell directly through counsel — for example, to review another expert’s report or to evaluate a child’s needs — your attorney defines that role, and she will explain it to you before anything begins.
§ 02 · The process
What to expect, start to finish.
The order or referral
A judge orders the evaluation, both sides stipulate to it, or your attorney recommends one. The paperwork defines exactly what question Dr. Campbell has been asked to answer — she cannot and will not go beyond it.
First contact & scheduling
You (or your attorney) contact the office, the order and fee arrangement are confirmed, and sessions are scheduled. You'll receive a clear list of what to bring and which records are needed.
The evaluation itself
Interviews, standardized questionnaires and testing, and — depending on the matter — observation of you with your child and interviews with people who know your family. Several sessions are normal. There are no trick questions; the process is designed to be thorough, not to catch you out.
Collateral information
Records (medical, school, court) and conversations with collateral contacts round out the picture, so no single bad day or single account decides anything.
The report
Findings go into a written report for the court or the referring party defined in the order. Who may read it is set by the order and the law — Dr. Campbell will explain those limits to you in plain terms before anything begins.
§ 03 · Preparing
Six things that genuinely help.
Bring what's asked, completely
Court documents, school and medical records, and anything the office requests. Complete records make accurate findings.
Answer the question asked
It's fine to say "I don't know" or "I don't remember." Guessing or filling silence rarely helps you; accuracy always does.
Don't coach your child
Children are interviewed with age-appropriate methods, and coaching is usually detectable. Let them show up as they are — that is genuinely the best thing for your case and for them.
Understand the evaluator's role
In a court-ordered evaluation, Dr. Campbell works for the court, not for either parent. That neutrality is what makes the findings carry weight — and it protects you from an evaluation slanted the other way.
Route questions the right way
Questions about strategy go to your attorney. Questions about logistics, scheduling, and what a session involves can always be asked of the office directly.
§ 04 · Your child’s needs
If your child is autistic or has ADHD, this matters more — and it’s her specialty.
Custody disputes often turn on a child’s real needs — and when a child is neurodivergent, those needs are frequently misread by evaluators without assessment training in autism and ADHD. Dr. Campbell’s clinical practice centers on exactly these evaluations, across the lifespan.
That means your child’s profile is assessed with the right instruments and interpreted by someone who understands what neurodivergent behavior does and doesn’t mean — so the parenting plan the court adopts fits the child who actually exists, not a stereotype.
Have the order or a question? Start here.
Call or write with your case number and timeline. All inquiries are reviewed within one business day. If you are in crisis right now, call or text 988 — this office is not a crisis service.