Child Custody Evaluation Advisement Form

This Advisement Form explains the purpose, structure, and expectations of a court-ordered child custody evaluation conducted by Lauren Gordon, LCSW-S, of North Texas Family Services. The evaluation is intended to assist the Court in making decisions that serve the best interests of the child or children involved. The evaluator functions as a neutral professional appointed by the Court and does not serve as a therapist, advocate, or representative for either party.

The purpose of this evaluation is to provide an independent, balanced, and thorough assessment of family dynamics, parenting capacity, and factors affecting the welfare of the child or children.

The process may include interviews, collateral contacts, document review, home observations, and other procedures the evaluator determines are reasonably necessary to address the issues before the Court. The evaluator will use professional discretion in determining what information is relevant, which individuals or collateral sources should be contacted, what records should be reviewed, and the extent of those contacts or reviews.

Findings and recommendations are presented to the Court in a written report that becomes part of the court record.

Although the evaluator's services are paid for by one or both parties, the evaluator works for the Court. The outcome of the evaluation may or may not align with either party's preferences or expectations.

If a participant refuses to participate, fails to provide requested information, or does not complete requested tasks, that information may be documented in the evaluation report and may affect the evaluator's ability to reach conclusions or recommendations. Questions regarding the legal consequences of participation or nonparticipation should be directed to legal counsel.

Clients are asked to advise the evaluator before the first appointment if they or anyone participating in the evaluation requires an interpreter. Clients may also provide the pronouns used by themselves or members of their household so that individuals can be addressed accurately throughout the evaluation.

North Texas Family Services may utilize qualified interns, practicum students, administrative personnel, or independent contractors under the direct supervision of Lauren Gordon, LCSW-S.

These individuals may assist with administrative tasks, file organization, data management, scheduling, or other appropriate duties related to the evaluation. They are required to comply with applicable privacy, ethical, and professional requirements and may not independently conduct the child custody evaluation, formulate recommendations, or release identifying information outside the supervision structure.

Information gathered during a child custody evaluation is not confidential or privileged in the same manner as information provided during therapy.

Information obtained during the evaluation may be included in the written report or disclosed to the Court, attorneys of record, collateral professionals, or other individuals when appropriate to the evaluation or required by law.

The evaluator may communicate with mental health professionals, medical providers, educational personnel, child-care providers, personal references, governmental agencies, attorneys of record, and other individuals who possess information relevant to the evaluation.

The evaluator may be required to testify in court regarding information obtained during the evaluation. Information filed with or presented to the Court may become part of the court record.

Any adult residing in the home or otherwise participating in the evaluation will be advised that information provided to the evaluator is not confidential and may be required to sign the Advisement Form Addendum.

Lauren Gordon, LCSW-S, does not consent to being audio recorded, video recorded, electronically recorded, or otherwise recorded at any time or by any means.

Clients, family members, attorneys, collateral sources, and other individuals involved in the evaluation are prohibited from recording any portion of the evaluation process, including in-person interviews, telephone calls, virtual meetings, home visits, interviews, or other communications with the evaluator.

Any attempt to record a portion of the evaluation without the evaluator's express written permission may be documented and reported to the Court.

This policy is separate from the waiver of child-interview recording requirements under Texas Family Code Section 107.109.

By signing this Advisement Form, the parties knowingly and voluntarily agree that individual child interviews conducted as part of this child custody evaluation will not be audiovisually recorded by the evaluator and intend this agreement to constitute a waiver of the requirements otherwise imposed by Texas Family Code Section 107.109.

This waiver is intended to constitute sufficient explanation and good cause for the evaluator's individual interviews of each child made the subject of the suit to be conducted without audiovisual recording.

Participants may consult with legal counsel regarding this waiver before signing this Advisement Form.

The total retainer for a full child custody evaluation is $6,000, divided equally between the parties at $3,000 per party unless otherwise ordered by the Court.

The standard evaluation includes:

• One individual interview with each parent or party;
• One home visit for each household being evaluated with all household members persent; and
• One joint virtual visit involving the parties, when clinically appropriate and determined necessary by the evaluator.
• The retainer also includes standard record review, collateral contacts, assessment, administrative preparation, and preparation of the final written report within the anticipated scope of the appointment.

The evaluator retains professional discretion regarding the procedures necessary to complete the evaluation. Inclusion of a service within the standard scope does not require the evaluator to perform a procedure that is not clinically or professionally appropriate for the particular case.

Any services required beyond the standard evaluation scope will be billed at $300 per hour. Additional services may include, but are not limited to, additional individual interviews, additional home visits, additional joint or family meetings, extensive record review, additional collateral contacts, assessment of newly raised allegations or concerns, substantial administrative work, court-ordered post-report services, or other work outside the anticipated scope of the evaluation.

Payment and all required paperwork must be completed before substantive evaluation work begins, including interviews, record review, or collateral contacts.

If additional work or expenses become necessary, an additional retainer may be required. The evaluation may be paused until required funds are received. Continued nonpayment may be reported to the Court and may result in withdrawal if permitted by the Court.

Court appearances, depositions, hearings, and trial testimony requested by a party or attorney require a subpoena.

For the first day of any deposition, hearing, or trial, the requesting party is responsible for a $2,500 appearance fee plus two hours of preparation time billed at $300 per hour. The total fee for the first day is $3,100. A hearing via zoom or phone call will be billed at $300 per hour and includes time during which the evaluator is required to remain available or on standby, participate remotely, or remain logged into a proceeding at the request of an attorney or party.

Each additional day of testimony or appearance is billed at $2,500, subject to the payment requirements described below.

A $500 non-refundable deposit is due at the time the subpoena is received. The deposit reserves the evaluator's availability for the requested date and will be applied toward the total appearance fee. The remaining balance must be paid in full no later than 30 days before the scheduled deposition, hearing, or trial.

The party who issues the subpoena is responsible for payment of all fees associated with the evaluator's appearance for the full duration of the deposition, hearing, or trial.

If the party who issued the subpoena releases the evaluator from further attendance, but another party requests or requires the evaluator to remain present, responsibility for any additional appearance time and related fees will transfer to the party requesting the evaluator's continued presence.

If the evaluator is requested to return on the immediately following consecutive day of a deposition, hearing, or trial, 50% of the applicable additional-day fee is due by close of business on the first day. The remaining 50% is due the following day before the evaluator's continued appearance.

If the evaluator is requested to return on an additional date that is not consecutive, the standard payment requirements apply, including the applicable deposit and advance-payment deadlines.

All outstanding fees owed to the evaluator or North Texas Family Services must be paid in full before the evaluator appears for a deposition, hearing, or trial.

If payment for a scheduled deposition has not been received in full as required, the evaluator reserves the right to decline to proceed with or withdraw from the deposition until payment is received, unless otherwise ordered by the Court.

Court-appearance time includes time during which the evaluator is required to travel, remain available or on standby, wait at the courthouse, participate remotely, or remain logged into a proceeding at the request of an attorney or party.

If a scheduled deposition, hearing, or trial is continued, reset, or rescheduled with less than 48 hours' notice, the fee paid to reserve the evaluator's appearance is non-refundable. A new appearance fee will be assessed for the rescheduled date and must be paid in accordance with the payment requirements described above.

If the evaluator's appearance is no longer required, written notice should be provided as soon as possible. Court-related fees and deposits are non-refundable as otherwise provided in this section.

Travel beyond the Dallas/Fort Worth area may result in additional charges for travel time, mileage, airfare, lodging, ground transportation, or other reasonable travel expenses.

Travel time is billed at $300 per hour unless otherwise agreed upon in advance.

Any required travel retainer must be paid before travel arrangements are made. The evaluator's complete travel policy is available upon request.

Once the final child custody evaluation report has been completed and filed or provided to the Court, the evaluator's appointment is considered complete unless otherwise ordered by the Court.

The evaluator will not conduct additional interviews, home visits, collateral contacts, record review, reassessment, supplemental evaluation, or other substantive evaluation activity at the request of an individual party or attorney after completion of the report.

Any update, addendum, reopened evaluation, supplemental assessment, or other substantive post-report work must be authorized by the Court.

Court-ordered post-report evaluation work will be billed at $300 per hour and may require an additional retainer before work begins.

Following completion of the evaluation, communications with parties or attorneys should generally be limited to administrative matters, file-production requests, scheduling of properly requested testimony, payment/invoices, or matters specifically authorized by the Court.

Requests for production of the evaluator’s file must be made in writing by the client or the client’s attorney.

Once a written request is received, the evaluator will have up to 15 calendar days to prepare the file for production, unless a different deadline is required by Court order or applicable law.

The evaluator’s file will be produced in its entirety. Requests for selected documents, portions of the file, or individual records will not be accommodated unless otherwise required by Court order or applicable law.

The first 100 files or documents produced will be billed at a flat rate of $300.

Each additional increment of up to 50 files or documents will be billed at $100 per increment.

For example, a production request involving 101 to 150 files would be billed at $400 total; 151 to 200 files would be billed at $500 total.

If records require redaction before production, the evaluator resereves the right to charge a $150 redaction fee in addition to the applicable production fee.

Once the evaluator’s file has been requested and prepared for production, each party will be offered the opportunity to obtain a copy of the same file. Each party requesting a copy is responsible for the same applicable production fee based on the total number of files or documents produced. Payment by one party does not satisfy or waive the production fee owed by another party requesting a copy. If the amicus requests a copy of the file, this fee will be split equally between the parties. 

The production fee covers the administrative time and resources required to identify, organize, prepare, scan, and securely transmit the evaluator’s file.

Any unusually extensive production request, records requiring special handling beyond standard redaction, or production requiring substantial additional administrative work may be billed at an hourly rate of $150 per hour.

All applicable production fees, redaction fees, and other outstanding balances must be paid before records are released, except as otherwise ordered by the Court.

Payment must be made as required before the evaluation process begins or before additional services are performed. If there is an outstanding balance, this must be paid in full before any additional work is performed. 

Payment may be submitted through Zelle to NTXFamilyServices or securely through Square Invoice.

A receipt will be provided once payment is confirmed.

Child custody evaluations are accepted as flat-fee court appointments based upon the anticipated time, preparation, and caseload commitment required once the evaluator accepts the case.

A $500 non-refundable administrative reservation fee applies once a case is accepted.

If a case concludes before the evaluation is completed, time already invested will be calculated at an hourly equivalent of $300 when determining whether any portion of the retainer is refundable. Preparation begins when the case is accepted and may include opening and securing the file, reviewing case information, communicating regarding the evaluation, and reserving space in the evaluator's caseload.

If the case settles before completion or the evaluator is released or permitted to withdraw, any refund will be determined after subtracting the administrative reservation fee, services performed, and expenses incurred.

Any refundable balance will be calculated after the Court enters an order releasing the evaluator from the appointment.

No refund will be issued after the final report has been filed or provided to the Court.

A child custody evaluation is forensic in nature and is not therapy or treatment.

Lauren Gordon, LCSW-S, does not provide therapy, counseling, mediation, parenting coordination, parenting facilitation, or legal services within the scope of the child custody evaluation.

The evaluator is not an attorney and cannot provide legal advice. Questions concerning legal rights, court procedures, discovery obligations, or the legal effect of information provided during the evaluation should be directed to legal counsel.

If therapeutic or other services appear appropriate, referrals or recommendations may be provided.

 

Lauren Gordon, LCSW-S, is licensed by the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council.

Complaints concerning alleged violations of professional licensing rules may be submitted to the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council in accordance with its complaint procedures.

Disagreement with the evaluator's findings, conclusions, recommendations, or opinions does not constitute a licensing complaint and should be addressed through the Court and applicable legal procedures.

 

By signing below, I acknowledge that I have read and understand this Advisement Form.

I understand the evaluator's role as a neutral professional appointed by the Court, the limits of confidentiality, the scope of the evaluation, the evaluator's fee and payment policies, the restrictions regarding recording, and the limitations on services and communication following completion of the evaluation.

I understand that services outside the standard scope of the evaluation are billed at $300 per hour and that separate fees and payment requirements apply to depositions, hearings, court appearances, and trial testimony.

I acknowledge that I have had the opportunity to ask questions regarding the evaluation process and may consult with legal counsel regarding this Advisement Form.