Services

As a recognized expert forensic psychologist, Dr. Stahl enjoys a unique and varied psychology practice centered on parenting after divorce. He is available as a consultant, expert witness and/or custody evaluator in matters relating to child custody and divorce.

Consultation Services

Dr. Stahl provides various consulting services that include the following:
  1. Consultation for attorneys to assist them in understanding and working with child custody evaluation reports.
  2. Consultation for child custody evaluators to help in analyzing the data of an evaluation and assist them in preparing their reports.
  3. Consultation for parent coordinators and special masters to assist them in their work.
  4. Consultation for mental health practitioners who are interested in learning more about divorce and its impact on children.
  5. Therapeutic consultation.

To explore the possibility of hiring Dr. Stahl as a consultant, please contact him by phone at 925-394-4062.

Expert Witness

Dr. Stahl serves as an Expert Witness following the completion of a child custody evaluation by another mental health professional. While his preference is to serve as consultant to both parties to assist them in reaching decisions without litigation, he recognizes that there are times when litigation is necessary.

As a consulting expert witness, Dr. Stahl reviews the child custody evaluation performed by others and assists in cross examination or expert witness testimony. It is always Dr. Stahl's position to act in a neutral manner, as his primary focus is the best interests of children. In any review of someone else's evaluation, Dr. Stahl will critique the procedures, findings, and conclusions of the evaluations in question.

At times, there are no major flaws, and Dr. Stahl will encourage parties to accept the findings of the evaluator, or testify on behalf of the well-done evaluation. In other cases, it may be unclear whether the evaluator has made sound recommendations, the evaluator's logical analysis may not be clear or the report may have conflicting data. In those cases, Dr. Stahl may be quite helpful in clarifying questions for cross-examination at deposition or trial in order to help in understanding whether the evaluation findings and recommendations are in the child's best interests.

To explore the possibility of his participation as an expert witness in a case, contact Dr. Stahl by phone at 925-394-4062 .

Weaknesses in Evaluations

All too often, there may be significant weaknesses in an evaluation. These weaknesses may be in one or more of the following areas:
  1. The procedures may contain significant flaws or omissions that weaken the validity of the findings. This may include a lack of collateral information, limited interview or observational data, or significant differences in time spent with each parent.
  2. The findings may rest on inaccurate interpretation of the data (including psychological test results) or the data may suggest alternative possibilities that have not been adequately considered. This inability to consider alternative hypotheses is a significant flaw in many poorly done child custody evaluations.
  3. The conclusions and recommendations may not be warranted by the findings and may reveal biases on the part of the evaluator. It is not uncommon for an evaluator to rely on unproven theories or only some of the available data. Exposing such flaws are important in challenging the custody evaluation.

When any of the above such problems are discovered, Dr. Stahl may be available to assist the attorney in preparing for depositions and cross-examinations. If he testifies, Dr. Stahl can testify on hypotheticals or on the specific issues raised in the evaluation, but he cannot make recommendations if he has not seen all parties involved in the family matter.

Custody Evaluation Services

A Child Custody Evaluation is a court-ordered evaluation to assist the parents and the court in determining a parenting plan that is in children's best interests. Dr. Stahl provides child custody evaluations with a court order. A complete evaluation includes the following:
  1. Interviews with both parents, children, and other significant adults in your child's life. These interviews may be individual and/or in any combination and as often as necessary for the purpose of the evaluation.
  2. Home visits, especially when one or more of the children is under the age of six or there are specific issues that can only be answered via the observations of a home visit.
  3. Psychological testing and parenting questionnaires.
  4. Parents are asked to sign a release of information form that will provide Dr. Stahl with access to medical, school, legal, and other professional information. These releases will give permission to others to provide necessary information to him.

To explore the possibility of his participation as a child custody evaluator in your family law case, contact Dr. Stahl by phone at 925-394-4062 or email Dr. Stahl.

What To Know

During the course of an evaluation, Dr. Stahl does not give advice, nor does he reveal his thoughts or ideas. At the conclusion of the evaluation, however, Dr. Stahl prepares a thorough and comprehensive report outlining specific recommendations that can be incorporated into a parenting plan. In more complex evaluations, he is likely to provide alternative recommendations and the risks and benefits of each. Parents and their attorneys must remember that, as an expert of the court, Dr. Stahl will understand and consider the concerns of the parents, but will make recommendations based on his perceptions of the child's best interests. For more information on child custody evaluations, you will want to see "The Anatomy of a Child Custody Evaluation".

Dr. Stahl adheres to the standards for child custody evaluation developed by the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, the American Psychological Association, and the California Center for Families, Children and the Courts.

Call Dr. Stahl at 925-394-4062 to request further information regarding availability, policies and fees or Complete an Inquiry Form.