Dr Lori Love and the Steve Frankel Group present
Custody Evaluations 101
Are you looking to become a certified Child Custody Evaluator/Parenting Plan Evaluator?
One of the first requirements to certification in California (and other jurisdictions) is to complete a certified 40-hour CE training course such as this training series. Custody Evaluations 101 is a 40-hour comprehensive series by Lori A. Love, Ph.D., designed to provide the participant with the knowledge to perform custody evaluations. Each course is worth 5.0 CE Credits, and teaches necessary APA standards, AFCC guidelines, and court rules.
Now featuring an updated "Rules, Guidelines and Procedures" course which reflects changes in guidelines seen through the end of 2024!
View Bundle Options >
Part 1
Courses 1 - 4. Also available as a bundle.
Part 2
Courses 5 - 8. Also available as a bundle.
Custody Evaluations 101: Bundles
Full Series BundleAll 8 Courses $594
Half Series, Part 1 Bundle4 Courses: 1 - 4 $317
Half Series, Part 2 Bundle4 Courses: 5 - 8 $317
Interested in becoming a custody evaluator? Learn more about the process here!
Becoming a Child Custody Evaluator/Parenting Plan Evaluator
The exact requirements vary between jurisdictions. SFG works with the Judicial Council of California (JCC), to match California's requirements. SFG recommends checking the requirements for your licensing jurisdiction, if not CA, for the exact requirements.
California imposes a hard licensing requirement. Before completing the CE training, you must be hold at least one of the following license types:
- Psychologist
- Marriage and Family Therapist
- Clinical Social Worker
- Professional Clinical Counselor
Complete 40-hours of approved training.
Our child custody 101 series fulfills this qualification for California. If you are not located in California, we recommend checking with your local jurisdiction to verify CE carryover.
Finished your initial training and ready for the next step?
- Fill out form FL-326
- Complete your supervised evaluations. Find a mentor/supervisor by:
- Joining your local chapter of the AFCC, so you can find other members and groups in your area
- Reaching out to us at SFG to inquire about any known contacts known to be open to evaluations
- Reaching out to the official California AFCC Mentors
- Can’t find a supervisor?
- Some jurisdictions will allow you to get an exception to the supervision requirement by offering to complete your initial evaluations for free/pro-bono,
- After becoming an Evaluator, keep your CCE credentials up to date by ensuring you complete your annual update requirements!
To read the full requirements, read the California Rules of Court Rule 5.225.
The 40 hours training series satisfies the 40-hour CE training requirement defined in Rule of court 5.225. The 16 hour CE IPV requirement is a separate requirement in addition to the 40 hours, defined in Rule of court 5.230 (and mentioned in rule of court 5.225).
According to the California Rules of Courst, any of SFG's courses specifically on the topic of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)/Domestic Violence (DV) can be applied to this requirement.
These are our currently available IPV/DV courses:
- 2023 Annual IPV Update (4.0 CEs)
- 2024 Annual IPV Update (4.0 CEs)
- 2025 Annual IPV Update (4.0 CEs)
- Assessing Risk of Child Abuse and Domestic Violence in PPEs (1.5 CEs)
- Behind the Screens: Understanding the Use of Cybercrime in Domestic Violence Implications for Child Custody Evaluations and Parenting Plan Development (2.0 CEs)
- Understanding the Impact of IPV on PPEs (3.0 CEs)
While rules throughout the United States and Canada for the registration of a Custody Evaluation are similar, the specifics do change between jurisdictions. If you are in another state or are outside the United States, please reach out to your local AFCC chapter and read the Rules of Court for your jurisdiction to find details on completing your certification as a Custody Evaluator.