FAQ for Attorneys

What does a Comprehensive Child Custody Evaluation cost?
The cost of a child custody evaluation (also known as a 730 evaluation) depends on the amount of time spent in getting to know the children and their families. A $3,000 deposit is required to start. Typically, the court will decide, or the attorneys and the parties will agree, how to split the cost of the child custody evaluation. The average Comprehensive Child Custody Evaluation that I conduct in Los Angeles County is between $9,000 – $11,000. This includes time spent on clinical interviews, home visits, collateral contacts, MMPI testing, phone contacts and report preparation. It does not include court appearances or depositions, which cost $2,100 per half day.

PLEASE CALL OR EMAIL TO CHECK MY AVAILABILITY BEFORE STIPULATING FOR ME TO BE THE EVALUATOR AS I AM FREQUENTLY TOO BUSY TO ACCEPT ADDITIONAL CASES.

How long does a 730 evaluation take?
From the moment I receive the parent questionnaires, signed stipulations and deposits, a Comprehensive Child Custody Evaluation is generally completed in 16 to 20 weeks.  If there is an urgent matter, please contact my office at (310) 376-2047 regarding my availability for completing the Child Custody Evaluation sooner.  On occasion, when there has been an urgent matter and my schedule has allowed, I have completed Comprehensive Evaluations in a few weeks, with the cooperation of the parties.

Are you on the LA County Superior Court list of Child Custody Evaluators?
Yes.

How many comprehensive child custody evaluations have you done?
I have completed over fourteen hundred comprehensive evaluations, also known as 730 evaluations.

Can I have a copy of your CV?
JoAnne Feigin’s CV

Can I have a copy of your stipulation?
Stipulation for a Comprehensive Evaluation
Stipulation for a Brief Evaluation

Do you do Brief or Solution Focused Evaluations?
Yes.

What does a Brief or Solution Focused Evaluation Cost?
The cost depends on the scope of the evaluation, and the location of the trial court. It is generally approximately $6,000.

What does your Brief or Solution Focused Evaluation include?
The parties may stipulate to what will be included in a Brief Evaluation.  It can also be determined by court order or confirmed by a conference call with the attorneys.  Generally, it includes a half day of interviews with the parents and children at my office, a review of limited documents provided by the parties or their counsel, limited collateral contacts, MMPI testing of the parties, and one half day of testimony.  If indicated and time allows, there may also be some office interviews of significant others.

Do you do Parenting Plan Coordination?
While I have done so historically, I am not currently taking on Parenting Plan Coordination cases.

Do you offer Co-Parenting Therapy or Parent Education?
Yes.

What do you charge for Therapy?
Therapy costs $300 per hour, some of which may be covered by the client’s health insurance.

What are your areas of expertise?

• Move Away (relocation) and Long Distance Parenting
• Substance Abuse
• Child Abuse
  •    Emotional Abuse
  •    Physical Abuse
  •    Sexual Abuse
  •    Neglect
• Domestic Violence
• Anger Management
• Child Development
• Trauma and PTSD
• Military Family Life
• Blended Family Issues
• Co-Parenting / Shared Parenting
• Transitioning through divorce for adults and children
• Parenting Plan Coordination
• Children with Special Needs
• Parental Alienation Issues

If you have any further questions, please feel free to call me at 310-376-2047.