1. First Steps and Major Concepts
2. Attorney's Perspective
3. The Do's and Don'ts of Preparing Clients for Interviews and Home Visit
4. Tools of the Evaluator – Other Information Used in the Report
5. Ethics
6. Custody Evaluations in the Courtroom

1. First Steps and Major Concepts
   9:00 - 9:50, Steven J. Kokensparger
   1. Finding and Qualifying an Evaluator
   2. Court Orders and Other Ways to Ensure Cooperation
   3. Key Elements and a Sample Timeline of an Evaluation
   4. American Psychological Association (APA) and Association of Family and Conciliation Courts(AFCC) Guidelines for Child Custody Evaluations
2. Attorney's Perspective
   9:50 - 11:00, Louis H. Herzog
   1. Alternatives to Custody Evaluation
      1. Mediation
      2. Supervised Visitation
      3. Graduated Access Arrangement
   2. What to do with Damaging Affidavits?
   3. Providing Deposition Transcripts vs. Relying on Evaluator Interviews
   4. To Submit or Not to Submit a Parent's Personal Diary
3. The Do's and Don'ts of Preparing Clients for Interviews and Home Visit
   11:15 - 12:05, Louis H. Herzog
   1. Home Visit
   2. Child Interviews
   3. Parent Questionnaire and Interviews
   4. Tips for Dealing with Clients with Personality Disorders
4. Tools of the Evaluator – Other Information Used in the Report
   1:05 - 2:15, Dr. John H. Mason
   1. Psychological Testing
   2. Uncovering Family History
   3. Addressing Past Mental Health History
   4. Narrative of Parents' Relationship Timeline – Hers and His
   5. Sample Evaluation Report
5. Ethics
   2:15 - 3:15, Steven J. Kokensparger
   1. Medical vs. Legal Ethics
   2. Appropriate Client Contact
   3. Mandatory and Voluntary Withdrawal of Legal Representation
   4. Protecting Confidentiality
6. Custody Evaluations in the Courtroom
   3:30 - 4:30, Steven J. Kokensparger
   1. Interpreting the Report
   2. Direct Examination of the Evaluator
   3. Cross Examination of the Evaluator
   4. Contesting Unfavorable Evaluation

LOUIS H. HERZOG is a partner in the Delaware law firm of Burkam Fuller & Herzog. Mr. Herzog has been an attorney for more than 12 years and focuses his practice on family law, guardian ad litem work, criminal law and landlord tenant law. He earned his B.A. degree from Denison University and his J.D. degree from Capital University.

STEVEN J. KOKENSPARGER is a partner in the Kokensparger & Ryan, LLC office, where his areas of practice include family law and appeals. Mr. Kokensparger is a former staff attorney for Judge Katherine S. Lias with the Franklin County Domestic Court. He is certified by the Ohio State Bar Association as a family law specialist. Mr. Kokensparger has written and spoken to numerous professional groups on his areas of practice including discovery, visitation, and domestic violence issues in financial divorce and custody proceedings. He has recently been a panelist on a National Child Endangerment Panel organized by the National Office of Mothers Against Drunk Driving with funding from the U.S. Justice Department in Washington, D.C., and he is a proud member of the Ohio State Bar Association. Mr. Kokensparger earned his B.A. degree from Ohio University and his J.D. degree from The Ohio State University.

DR. JOHN H. MASON has been in practice as a professional psychologist since 1984. Dr. Mason specializes in adolescents, firefighters and paramedics. He has been doing custody evaluations for 25 years and has been identified as an expert in a number of counties in Ohio. Dr. Mason has also worked with the Juvenile Court in Franklin County providing evaluations for bind over hearings as well as evaluations for treatment planning. He earned his B.A. degree from Urbana College, his M.T.S. degree from Hamma School of Theology at Wittenberg University and his Ph.D. degree from The Ohio State University. Dr. Mason is a member of the American College of Forensic Examiners.

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