I recently had a question posed: “Can … courts order psychological testing of young children?”  The poser of the question did not identify if he/she was speaking of a divorce or parentage matter, but as a general rule, the family law courts are very reluctant to order psychological testing of young children.

The exception of course would be a Court Ordered Custody Evaluation.  While typically the focus of a Custody Evaluation is focused on which parent would best serve the child’s best interests pertaining to custody, and to give recommendations regarding parenting time, some evaluation of the minor child’s current psychological condition will be assessed and factored into the equation.

The same is not true of parents involved in legal custody of children.  If there is a good faith belief that one of the parents suffers from a severe mental (or physical) condition, the court CAN order testing of that parent.