In accordance with section 3 of the Guardianship of Infants Act, 1964 (as amended), the ordering of a report and its scope should be consistent with the best interests of the child/children concerned. Factors to which a court shall have particular regard in directing an expert report are set out in section 32(3) of the 1964 Act. In addition, relevant considerations in deciding whether to commission a report will include the factors set out in section 31 of the 1964 Act.

Considerations of importance may include:
a. Physical, psychiatric or psychological ill health or addiction or alleged addiction of any persons within the family being assessed;
b. Issues giving rise to a risk of harm to the child/children;
c. Concerns relating to the protection of children’s safety and wellbeing, physical or psychological;
d. Domestic violence or alleged domestic violence;
e. Where both parents request such assessment and report, and this is not determined by the court to be contrary to the best interests of the child;
f. Where concerns arise in relation to influence in the context of the actions or expressed views of the child/children;
g. Intractable parental/guardianship conflict inter partes;
h. Contact refusal or significant contact difficulties;
i. Relocation of one of the parties such as will significantly interfere with the extant and future arrangements between the children and either parent/guardian;