Custody Evaluations

Custody evaluations in allocation of parental rights and visitation cases are now governed by Supreme Court Rule of Superintendence 91 (Sup.R.91) and Franklin County Local Dom. Rule 45/Juv. Rule 44. Under these rules:

  • The custody evaluator is the court’s expert. Parties are not permitted to hire their own custody evaluators to perform custody evaluations.
  • This does not apply to psychological evaluations available under the Ohio Rules of Civil Procedure.
  • The custody evaluator’s report is to be entered as an exhibit of their expert testimony at the time of trial, but is subject to cross-examination.
  • The court is required to maintain a list of all custody evaluators available.
  • The court is required to promulgate an order that satisfies the requirements of Sup.R. 91.
  • The court is required to accept comments and complaints for any custody evaluators.

Please review Sup.R. 91 and Local Dom. Rule 45/Juv. Rule 44 in full so you are familiar with them. Custody Evaluation Entry/Magistrate Orders are available below, as is a link to the list of custody evaluators:

Back to top