Daniel J. Rybicki, Psy.D., DABPS, RCE
Licensed Clinical Psychologist Ca PSY14000 Wa 00003195
Diplomate in Forensic Psychology, Registered Custody Evaluator
Seminars & Publications | Consultation Services | Common Questions
Common Questions
- What Levels of Service are provided in Family Law matters?
- What is involved in a custody evaluation?
- Can Dr,Rybicki provide expert services in my case in local court?
- How much does it cost?
What Levels of Service are provided in Family Law matters?
Most inquires for Family Law matters ask about the various levels of possible forensic service. There are three (3) such levels of service.The first level is for psychological testing, such as requested by the GAL or other professionals. That usually costs about $1500 to $1700 per adult, and does not lead to a "best interest" recommendation. It does offer information on the psychological adjustment of the party that is evaluated, and it allows me to draw inferences and conclusions about parenting skills and knowledge. Tests generally include the MMPI-2 an other personality measures such as the MCMI-III, Rorschach Comprehensive System, various parenting measures, etc. Some cases will request additional parenting observations which extends the range of professional opinion to issues of parent-child relationship, bonding, quality of parenting skills. This additional component might add some $300 to $400 to the assessment.
The second level of service is for a focused evaluation. All parties agree to it being limited in scope and focused on certain key issues which are spelled out in the stipulation and agreed to in advance by the parties. There may or may not be psychological testing required for that level of work. It may be as brief a
s having extended interviews with the parents and the child or children, reviewing some documents, and possibly contacting a limited number of collaterals. In some focused evaluations, there may be same day interviews and calls, and testimony, or some may include a brief, focused written report. Parenting plan recommendations in this level of service are very brief. Cost for such a focused evaluation may be about $3000. If testimony is taken on a different day, costs may be higher.The third level is a full and comprehensive parenting evaluation or custody evaluation, in keeping with WAC 246-924-445 or EC730 and FC3110.5. It is also in keeping with APA guidelines and AFCC model guidelines. It begins with stipulation agreement and specification of issues or scope. It usually requires an initial retainer payment of $4000. It begins with the parties completing an essay assignment which gives me an extensive history and outline of issues, and a marital history and child developmental history, etc. I also collect lists of collateral contacts and begin by sending them authorized forms to complete. Once the essays are submitted, I schedule office appointments for extensive interviews and psychological testing (much like the testing in option one). I also arrange for home visits (unless otherwise specified) and conduct interviews with the children and observations with the parents and children. There maybe additional contacts by phone or in person. There are selected follow-up contacts with various third party collaterals, and there is record review and additional investigation to address the issues. The report for this is generally quite lengthy and detailed, and the parenting plans may be fairly detailed with a focus on helping to guide the divorced family system to a more stable and positive arrangement in the best interests of the child or children. This level of investigation allows for best interest recommendations across all domains. The total cost for this may range between $6000 and $8000 or more depending on complexity.
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What is Involved in a Custody Evaluation ?
While custody evaluators develop their own unique methods for making such assessments, many will follow the guidelines set forth by the American Psychological Association (www.apa.org) (
View the APA guidelines here).Another common reference point is the set of guidelines available from the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC). (View the AFCC guidelines here or see other practice guidelines at their website at www.afccnet.org ).
Most custody evaluators are court appointed, have quasi-judicial immunity, conduct interviews and observations with each parent and with the children, perform some review of records, collect information from collateral sources, and utilize some psychological testing. Most generate lengthy reports to the court and offer recommendations for custody and visitation. While cases may differ in their specific requirements, the typical evaluation will take between 25-35 hours of professional time and cost between $6,000 and $8,000 or more.
If you are considering having Dr. Rybicki conduct a child custody evaluation for your case, initial contact should come from your attorney. If court appointed, Dr. Rybicki will forward a copy of his customary stipulation agreement to all parties for them to endorse. This sets forth all of the basic requirements for conducting the custody evaluation. You may request a copy of this document in MS Word format or by fax if you email Dr. Rybicki at dryb6354@earthlink.net
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Can Dr. Rybicki provide expert services in my case in local court ?
States differ in their allowance for professional psychological services by persons not locally licensed. Dr. Rybicki always checks local requirements before accepting cases in states where he is not currently licensed. Some services can be provided remotely, including consultation and assistance via e-mail and fax, as well as direct contact with you and your attorney. If the case demands that we make an evaluation with you, you may come to our local offices, or if acceptable with local statutes, we will arrange to travel to you. Court appearances under court order often are acceptable in most states. In all instances where there is travel beyond the home office in Washington, extra travel charges will be incurred. More information regarding such travel fees and portal to portal fees is available through Dr. Rybicki.
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How Much Does It Cost ?
Each case will demand differing amounts of professional time and possible travel and testimony. A full fee schedule is available upon request. Most forensic services such as document review, report preparation, and telephone consultation time will be billed at the rate of $250 per hour, with additional fees for travel & testimony. Simple cases may require only a few hours of work, but you should generally figure that most cases will demand about 10 hours of work or more, and a retainer may need to be established up front. Contact us with your questions and we can discuss fees and other issues.
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Other Questions:
Where can I find an attorney?
While each case may demand special types of legal expertise, you can generally begin by speaking with any attorney you know that will provide you with other names. The local bar association or state bar association may offer specialty listings of attorneys. There are also useful websites, including http://www.findlaw.com which may be helpful.
Where can mental health professionals, GAL's, court personnel and attorneys get training and up-to-date information about family law matters?
There is a newly-formed Washington State Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts. Dr. Rybicki is currently serving as the founding president of this chapter. Dr. Rybicki is working with other local professionals in developing training programs and other events. For more information about the Washington Chapter please see www.wa-afcc.net or get additional information about AFCC at their website www.afccnet.org.
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