What are parenting assessments?

Parenting assessments are reports written by a professional (e.g. psychiatrist, psychologist, or social worker) for the court assessing the needs of the child and each parent’s willingness to meet the child’s needs. The professional will write a report for the court summarizing his/her observations, conclusions, and recommendations. The judge will use the report to decide on the issue of parenting.

Under what jurisdiction are parenting assessments ordered?

Under Section 30 of the CLRA the court can order a professional to provide a parenting assessment. There is no provision in the Divorce Act for the ordering of an assessment. The court does, however, have inherent jurisdiction to do so if it determines the assessment is necessary.

When are parenting assessments ordered?

They are ordered when the parents disagree on the parenting arrangement for the child. They are not ordered routinely since they are expensive and time intensive.