A child custody evaluation can be one of the biggest sources of stress for a parent. In a situation like this, the judicial system is faced with the difficult task of deciding how fit a parent is to care for his or her children, and rule accordingly. Here are some of the issues that are considered.

Factors in a Child Custody Evaluation

Parental abuse is pretty much at the top of the list when it comes to determining the fitness of a parent. This is because child abuse is so common. Children are easy targets after all, and parents who were abused themselves as kids tend to lash out in the same way they were treated.

Substance abuse is also a major factor. If money that should be spent supporting and caring for their child is instead being spent on drugs and alcohol, then this is a huge problem for a parent. Addicts also may frequently find themselves in an impaired state, that would further add to parental negligence on their part.

Other Issues

This brings us to other factors which may make a parent unfit, such as a mental or physical handicaps that could similarly prevent them from being able to perform basic parental duties. Finally, there are financial issues to consider. If a parent doesn't make enough money to support kids, a child custody evaluation may not result in their favor.