By David Lombard, PhD | Licensed Psychologist | Forensic Psychological Evaluations
Not every family court question requires a full evaluation of the entire family. Sometimes a judge needs a clear answer to one specific question. Why does a twelve-year-old want to change homes? Is a parent's drinking a safety risk during parenting time? Can a child safely reconnect with a parent who has been gone for two years?
For questions like these, a Brief Focused Assessment (BFA) can give the court reliable information more quickly, at lower cost, and with less disruption to children who are already living through a hard season. Used well, a BFA can help a family move forward. Used for the wrong question, it can leave the court without what it truly needs. This article explains the difference.
What is a Brief Focused Assessment?
A BFA is a court-ordered assessment of one or a few narrowly defined questions identified by the judge. The Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) published its Guidelines for Brief Focused Assessment in 2009 to bring clearer definition and consistent methods to this growing practice.
The key difference from a comprehensive evaluation is scope. A Parenting Plan Evaluation (the term AFCC adopted in 2022 for what was formerly called a child custody evaluation) studies the whole family to inform long-term decisions. A BFA looks closely at one issue. As a result, a BFA report is more descriptive than analytic, focuses on the family's shorter-term needs, and keeps its conclusions within the limits of the data gathered.
The AFCC Guidelines are clear that a BFA is not a lower-cost substitute for a comprehensive evaluation. When a case truly needs the full picture, families deserve the full process. A BFA is a different tool for a different job.
Questions a BFA answers well
The AFCC Guidelines describe a BFA as best suited to questions that are well defined, narrow, and require clinical judgment. Examples drawn from the Guidelines include:
A child's stated preference. What is behind a child's wish to change residence, and is the child's reasoning developmentally appropriate?
A parent's mental health or substance use. Does it affect the parent's ability to provide a safe, consistent home during parenting time?
Reconnecting after a long absence. Under what conditions might renewed contact benefit the child, and what are the risks?
Safety during parenting time. Is supervised time needed to protect the child?
Unsubstantiated concerns with a young child. How can contact resume carefully and safely, especially after a gap?
Very young children or special needs. Once custody is settled, what schedule fits the child's developmental needs?
A child aligned with one parent. What is driving the relationship strain, and how might it improve?
When a full evaluation is the better choice
The Guidelines point to a comprehensive Parenting Plan Evaluation when the court needs a broad, long-term picture. That includes deciding the overall custody arrangement, deciding whether to permit a relocation, assessing general parenting capacity, and cases with complex patterns of maltreatment or certain types of domestic violence.
A larger case can still contain a narrow question. For example, if a relocation is approved, a BFA might address what access plan would suit the child. The key is that the question is defined, not open-ended.
How a BFA differs from a Parenting Time Evaluation
In Indiana practice, a Parenting Time Evaluation is also narrower than a full Parenting Plan Evaluation, so the two are easy to confuse. The difference is the question being asked.
A Parenting Time Evaluation addresses the parenting time schedule itself: how time with each parent should be arranged.
A Brief Focused Assessment addresses a specific clinical question, such as a child's preference, a safety concern, or a parent's readiness to reconnect. Its findings may inform the court's thinking about parenting time, but it does not set the overall schedule.
If you are unsure which fits your case, a short call before the order is drafted can help sort it out.
What the process looks like
Each BFA is designed around the court's questions. Under the AFCC Guidelines, most include an interview with each parent, interviews with the children when developmentally appropriate, observation of each parent with the children, contacts with relevant professionals or caregivers, and a review of relevant records. Psychological testing or a home visit is added only when the question calls for it.
The evaluator serves as an impartial examiner, not a therapist or advocate for either parent. The written report states the referral questions, the methods used, the data gathered, any missing or limited information, and alternative explanations considered. If the evaluator learns of a concern outside the referral questions, especially one involving a child's safety, the Guidelines allow it to be brought to the court's attention.
Tips for attorneys
A useful BFA starts with a well-drafted order. The Guidelines call for an order that names the evaluator and states well-defined referral questions. In practice, that means:
Limit the order to one to three specific questions.
Make clear what is and is not being asked.
Specify who receives the report.
Authorize collateral contacts and records review.
Choose a BFA only when the question is truly narrow. If the court needs the full picture, request a Parenting Plan Evaluation.
You can learn more about my Brief Focused Assessment services, including fees and how to get started.
Frequently asked questions
Can parents request a BFA on their own? A BFA is court-ordered. A parent or attorney may ask the court to order one, or the parties may agree to one, but the evaluator begins only after an order names the evaluator and defines the questions.
Will a BFA recommend who gets custody? No. A BFA addresses only the specific questions in the order. Decisions about the overall custody arrangement call for a comprehensive Parenting Plan Evaluation.
How long does a BFA take? Because the scope is narrower, a BFA is usually completed more quickly than a full evaluation. Timing depends on the number of questions, the participants' availability, and how quickly records are received.
Will my children be interviewed? Often, yes, when it is developmentally appropriate. Children are spoken with in a way suited to their age, and the limits of confidentiality are explained in words they can understand.
Is what I say confidential? Not in the way therapy is. Information gathered may appear in the report to the court. The evaluator explains these limits before the assessment begins.
What if the evaluator sees a problem the order did not ask about? The AFCC Guidelines allow the evaluator to note other relevant concerns for the court, especially those involving a child's safety, and to suggest further inquiry if needed.
Sources
Association of Family and Conciliation Courts. (2009). Guidelines for Brief Focused Assessment. Listed on the AFCC Practice Guidelines page.
Association of Family and Conciliation Courts. (2022). Guidelines for Parenting Plan Evaluations in Family Law Cases.
This article is for general information and is not legal advice. Please consult your attorney about your specific case.