Custody Evaluation Reports: The Case for References to the Peer-Reviewed Professional Literature

Forensic psychologists in general, and child custody evaluators, in particular, who submit reports to courts in disputed custodial placement and access cases should respect the requirement of Federal Rule of Evidence 702 that expert testimony be "based upon sufficient facts or data,'' be "the product of reliable principles and methods,'' and be offered by a witness who has "applied the principles and methods reliably to the facts of the case.'' The authors argue that psychologists have an ethical responsibility to limit their recommendations to those for which there is empirical support.