Join us for two annual updates, specialized for California Law and Custody Evaluations, but giving information and CE credits valuable to Evaluators country-wide.

Day 1: October 24

On Day 1, we hold our 2025 annual update for the Child Custody Evaluators (CCE), as specified by California Rules of Court, rule 5.225(i), is hosted by Lori Love, PhD. Presenters are the Honorable Judge Margo Hoy (ret), Sandra Mayberry, Esq, CFLS, Christy Bradshaw Schmidt, LPC, Leslie Drozd, Ph.D., and Sally Lynch, MA, LMFT.

CCE Update Overview

This training provides timely updates on key judicial decisions and legal trends from the past year relevant to Child Custody Evaluators (CCEs). It explores systemic resist/refuse dynamics, including the critical question of “when to let go,” and offers guidance on how evaluations can support the effectiveness of conjoint family therapy. Presenters will address what therapists need from CCEs in resist/refuse cases and how to respond when therapy is no longer viable.

Additional topics include brief focused evaluations, developing and testing alternative hypotheses, and current best practices. The training emphasizes legal defensibility in Parenting Plan Evaluations (PPEs), identifying common pitfalls and emerging PPE challenges. Attendees will learn strategies to reduce bias, improve judgment, and enhance transparency, along with techniques for integrating findings into reports that meet ethical and legal standards and reflect a deliberate approach to hypothesis development and testing.

Presentations:

Judicial Updates 2025
Legal Updates 2025
Should I Persist when my Child Resists?
Conducting Custody Evaluations with Integrity: A Best Practice Booster
Recommendations in Evaluations that Benefit the Utility of Conjoint Family Therapy

Applicable California Rules of Court, rules 5.225 and 5.230, et. seq.

Day 2: October 25

Day 2 is our annual Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)/ Domestic Violence (DV) update. This update will feature host Lori Love, Ph.D. and presenter Susan Rempel, Ph.D., President-Elect of AFCC CA!

IPV Update Overview

This 2025 IPV annual update training equips child custody evaluators with tools to assess two emerging areas of concern: firearm access and cyber abuse. The first segment addresses the evaluator’s role in inquiring about a parent’s access to firearms, ammunition, and deadly weapons—an area highlighted in recent California legislation. Attendees will learn to incorporate standardized interview questions, assess collateral information, evaluate storage practices, and understand when mandatory reporting is required for safety concerns.

The second segment explores how cybercrime intersects with domestic violence in custody disputes. Evaluators will learn to identify digital abuse tactics such as deepfakes, impersonation, and online surveillance—behaviors that can jeopardize child safety and co-parenting dynamics. The session will cover targeted questions to ask parents and children, relevant collateral data, and how to assess the impact of cyber harassment on families. Recommendations for addressing both victim and perpetrator behavior in written reports will also be provided.

Applicable California Rules of court (Education and training requirements) rule 5.225(d)(1)(2)(6)(7)(13)(17)(18)(21)

Our 2025 Annual CCE and IPV Updates are sponsored by Our Family Wizard. Learn more about this app designed to assist in peaceful and safe co-parenting here.