Abstract
In any child placement decision, the predominant consideration is the welfare of the child. Accordingly, the most widely used test in determining child custody is clearly the "best interests of the child" standard. Despite its relatively old vintage, the standard continues to represent a nebulous concept that courts have rarely been able to define with precision. Because of its open-ended nature, the best interests of the child standard makes relevant a wide range of evidence pertaining to the fitness of the parents and the environment in which the child will be raised. it is in determining these facts that child placement cases often seek and rely heavily on the testimony of court-appointed or privately-retained psychotherapists. ...
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1981
Recommended Citation
Thomas F. Guernsey, The Psychotherapist-Patient Privilege in Child Placement: A Relevancy Analysis, 26 Vill. L. Rev. 955 (1981).
Included in
Family Law Commons, Juvenile Law Commons, Law and Psychology Commons
