In scenarios of determining child custody, it is not uncommon to call in a child custody expert witness to determine which school placement is in the best interest of the child or children. In a joint custody situation, a child can attend a school in either of their parents’ districts. A child’s educational prospects can change, given their custody arrangement and resulting school placement. Often, the factors playing the most significant roles in child custody arrangements are the child’s emotional well-being, educational needs, stability, and physical and mental health. An expert school comparison and placement evaluation may be used as evidence during a custody hearing.
At School Liability Expert Group, our expert witness team can conduct comprehensive public and private school evaluations in any U.S. state and Canada to help determine a suitable school placement to ensure a child’s safety and give him or her the best educational opportunities. Our court-qualified expert witnesses possess unmatched and diversified experience in education administration, child safety, and supervision. We will leverage our expertise to provide a tailored school review for your child custody case.
Expert Witness Services and Consultations for Attorneys in Child Custody Matters
When determining the best school placement for a child, various program quality and school liability matters must be considered. Understandably, excellent knowledge and experience thereof is vital.
At School Liability Expert Group, we have worked with hundreds of law firms across the United States on several child safety and supervision matters; our court-qualified expert witnesses have acted in various educational administration positions, including teacher, coach, principal, and superintendent. As a result, when conducting school reviews in child custody cases, our expert witness team takes a well-rounded, informed approach, thoroughly examining a school’s past and present child custody and liability matters. We can explore a multitude of areas, including, but not limited to, special education services; student supervision; hiring, screening, supervision, and retention of school employees; school transportation-related matters, student injury, and school accidents; violence; sexual harassment and Title IX; harassment, intimidation, and bullying; and disciplinary processes.
Therefore, attorneys trust our firm to provide thorough reports, case reviews and analyses, expert trial and deposition testimony, and expert consultations. With our level of expertise, we serve our clients with the tools of a large law firm but with the personalized attention of a small practice. In providing school placement expert witness services, we prioritize a child’s safety and educational success.
Perhaps your client is unhappy with their prior child’s school evaluation results. We can then act as a child custody expert witness in your case. Our expert witness team can conduct a review of that evaluation and provide an expert opinion. Our process combines our experts’ specialized knowledge, their professional experience, research, and the child’s needs to determine whether the previous evaluation met a reasonable standard of care.
Additionally, we provide school placement expert witness services in custody cases involving children with disabilities. Custody battles over children with special needs can be complex, as they have unique educational needs and accommodations that one parent’s preferred school district may be better able to meet than the other’s. In these child custody cases, an expert witness who understands the intricacies of special education and disability matters may be called in.
Our team holds unparalleled expertise in these areas. We will conduct a review of the child custody and the special education program matters of the current or prospective public or private school to determine whether a specific placement does or would meet the child’s safety and educational needs. Our experts strongly understand the rights of children with disabilities, including IEP, behavioral, 504 plans, and other special education and accommodation provisions they are entitled to under the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and other disability laws.
In any case, if the final agreement involves a form of joint child custody, the child will have the option of attending a school in either parent’s district. If one parent lives in a district with much better educational opportunities than the other, calling in an expert witness to conduct a comprehensive review of a school’s child custody and liability matters and make expert child placement recommendations may help your case. The agreed-upon custody arrangement must, however, meet the child’s unique educational and well-being needs of the child. An expert witness can consult with the parents after the custody arrangement is finalized to facilitate a seamless school placement process.