Divorce and children: How psychologists support healthy transitions

Authors : Ezgi Ildırım, Zeynep Gülüm

Pages : 1233-1257

Doi:10.48070/erciyesakademi.1660730

View : 104 | Download : 383

Publication Date : 2025-12-31

Article Type : Review Paper

Abstract :Family structure and dynamics are changing as the number of divorce cases increases lately. Divorce for the family with children arise the question of custody in the civil justice system. The child custody evaluations (CCE) within the civil justice system become critical based on the principle of protecting the best interest of the children. It has critical function in safeguarding the psychological and developmental well-being of children especially for the conflicted divorce. As the divorce process is a stressful event which can lead to psychological and developmental problems, CCE effectively conducts to protect the psychological well-being of the parties. For that reason, this paper aims to review best practice methodologies in CCE, including from preparation to evaluation to reporting. Preparation before starting to data collection evaluator needs to meet ethical guidelines together with cultural sensitivity, while identifying key challenges, such as the lack of standardized procedures and the gap between legal and psychological approaches. While studies in Turkey showed that for CEE lack of standards in evaluation and educational requirements which can negatively affect the evaluation process. Data collection process needs interviews with all related parties including parents, children and collateral contacts, observation, document review and psychological test results. Lastly, reporting part is crucial as the interpretation of scientific data to address the court question for legal decision-making process. Studies showed that lack of standardized evaluation and reporting process in CEE can be problematic. Standardization is necessary for protection of best interest of the child.
Keywords : Çocuk Velayeti Değerlendirmesi, Ortak Velayet, Müstakil Velayet, Yasal Velayet

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