Parents of children locked in disputed legal proceedings have experienced first-hand and all too often the devastating detrimental effects on children, from delays in the family courts. These were sentiments coming from a recent talk on the matter regarding Section 32 Reports – Caroline Goldsmith.
Waiting lists for section 32 report
One such report; the “Section 32” is of particular concern when considering these bottlenecks. The report is commissioned in order for the Judge to hear the voice of the child and determine their welfare. Court Ordered Child and family reports take a long time to process in order for the case to be heard. Often other proceedings cannot go ahead until this particular report is submitted to the court.
Children’s voices denied in Section 32 process
Section 32 reports have such long waiting lists to be completed, that some courts do not even order them. Considering this fact, a worrying trend emerges with children’s welfare and the right for their voice to be heard under many human rights and child laws.
Considering Section 32 Reports – Caroline Goldsmith Consulting Clinical Psychologist, is a leading clinician in this area having completed many such reports for courts, to determine the best interests of the child and for the court to hear their voice. Ms. Goldsmith, a recent graduate of the family & child law course at Carlow SETU states “Parents should not confuse the courts’ agreement to hear the ‘Voice of the child’, with children making their own determinations to the court. If a child has been coached for example, to favor one parent over another this will come through in the Section 32 assessment and reporting process. Such damaging strategies often backfire on the parent trying to exclude the other parent from the child’s life”
A good Section 32 Report will be beneficial in assisting the court to determine the best interests of the child and to hear their voice. Therefore it is essential this is undertaken by a clinician with comprehensive experience of child and adolescent pathology.
Section 32 Reports currently have a turnaround time of 30 days in our Dublin and Cork Clinics and can be done similarly nationwide.
Call for a quote and time frame to have a Section 32 report completed