Assessment of circumstances

A clarification of circumstances is performed at the request of a district court when there is disagreement related to the care of the child.

If you as parents have not been able to agree on the custody, living arrangements or right of access of your child, you can apply for a court decision. Before making the decision, the court can request the social services of the Wellbeing Services County for an assessment of circumstances in relation to your and your child's situation. An assessment of circumstances can only be made at the request of the court. When the court requests the assessment, it must define the things to which the assessment should pay special attention. Confidential information will also be processed during the assessment process and the legal proceedings. The client relationship related to the assessment of circumstances is a short process that usually lasts from three to six months. The assessment process investigates the circumstances and life situation of the child and their parents and the interaction between the child and their parents. During the process, the child and their parents are met several times in different compositions. The assessment of circumstances can also involve asking for necessary official information from institutes, such as schools, day-care centres and child welfare services. The persons carrying out the assessment of circumstances are entitled to access the information without being prevented by confidentiality. Expert opinions can also be obtained, if necessary. The client relationship related to the assessment of circumstances ends once the assessment has been completed. If the court deems the assessment to be lacking or if the things discovered require further clarification, the court can ask that the previous assessment be supplemented, or the author of the assessment can be heard in court.

Conditions for receiving the Service

If the parents cannot reach an agreement on the custody, living arrangements and right of access of the child, they can appeal to a court for a ruling. According to Section 16 of the Act on Child Custody and Right of Access, in matters concerning child custody or right of access, the court must obtain a report from social services, unless it is apparent that one is not needed to resolve the matter. This report is called an assessment of circumstances. An assessment of circumstances can only be made at the request of the court.

The service is free of charge.

Executive assistance: Requests for executive assistance coming from other municipalities can be sent using Securedmail to the e-mail address olosuhdeselvityspyynnot@luvn.fi.

Do as follows:

  • We invite the parents to the initial meeting by letter. Along with the letter, we will also send a client information form to be returned at the initial meeting as well as more detailed information on the clarification process.
  • The process does not include actual mediation, but we will help the parents to conclude an agreement if they wish to settle the matter during the process. The court will set a deadline for the preparation of the report.