Lunch & Learn - Custody Evaluations

MN Board of CLE - 1.25 credits - APPROVED

Title: Custody Evaluations

Description:

Join us for a unique Lunch and Learn where we dive into the intricacies of custody evaluations (also referred to as parenting plan evaluations) and revolutionize your approach to working with and assessing them. Explore the depths of these evaluations alongside our esteemed panel of experts: psychologist Mindy Mitnick, Referee Holly Knight, and attorney Matt Yost.

In this engaging dialogue, you'll learn tips to effectively utilize custody evaluations, gain practical insights on the qualities of a truly impactful assessment and deepen your understanding of their application in family law cases. Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your practice and approach evaluations with newfound confidence!

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will be able to assess the quality of an evaluation.
2. Participants will be able to understand what criteria are necessary for a custody evaluation to take place and who makes that decision.
3. Participants will appreciate the differing impact of evaluations entered into by agreement and those ordered by a judicial officer.
4. Participants will be made aware of the regional availability (or lack thereof) in custody evaluation services and understand alternative processes.

Speakers:

Holly Knight, Referee

Holly Knight has been a family court referee in Hennepin County since 2017.  Prior to her appointment, she was a staff attorney at the Hennepin County Self-Help Center, a family law staff attorney at Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services and a law clerk for Referee Richard Stebbins. Holly received her law degree from the University of Minnesota.

Matt Yost, Attorney

Matt Yost is an attorney at Chestnut Cambronne, PA, representing clients in all types of family law cases. Matt obtained his B.A. in English from the University of Minnesota and his law degree from Mitchell Hamline School of Law. Before entering private practice, he worked as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Richelle M. Wahi in Minnesota’s First Judicial District. Matt has also served as an adjunct professor at Mitchell Hamline, assisting a tenured professor in Constitutional Law and Civil Procedure courses. Matt serves on a number of boards and organizations, including the Family Law League and the Association of Family and Conciliations Courts, and he is a volunteer attorney with Tubman and the Children’s Law Center.

Mindy Mitnick, Psychologist

Mindy F. Mitnick is a Licensed Psychologist practicing in Minneapolis. She received a Master of Education from Harvard University and a Master of Arts from the University of Minnesota. She specializes in work with families in the divorce process and with victims of abuse and their families. She has been a speaker for the National Child Protection Training Center, Office of the Children’s Lawyer in Canada, the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, and numerous statewide multidisciplinary training programs. Ms. Mitnick has written and taught extensively about the assessment of child sexual abuse allegations during custody disputes. She served as a member of the Minnesota Custody Dialogue Group that rewrote the state’s Best Interest Factors and co-chaired the Child-Focused Parenting Time Guide workgroup. Ms. Mitnick is past President of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts.