GUARDIAN ADLITEM VOLUNTEERS AS REPORTERS OF FAMILY CHARACTERISTICS INCONTESTED CUSTODY CASES

Efforts to assess judicial decision-making have been restricted by met hodological limitations. Previous studies have relied solely on survey s of judges' and lawyers' perceptions regarding the influence of speci fic issues. This data is subject to their awareness of the decision-ma king process and possible bias. This study examined the feasibility an d utility of generating case specific data via court appointed child a dvocates. Results support the stability and interrater reliability of the information generated. Implications for use of this methodology in judicial decision-making research are discussed.