Warshak Parent Questionnaire
The WPQ-2 (second edition) is designed to help professionals gather comprehensive parent-reported information about a child or adolescent’s developmental, educational, social, and psychological functioning. It supports thorough, well-documented consultations and evaluations.
Used since 1988 by custody evaluators, attorneys, mediators, and therapists, the WPQ helps professionals learn about the needs of children who are the subject of custody disputes and can also be used in broader clinical assessment contexts.
What the WPQ-2 Provides
The WPQ-2 offers a structured, cost-effective method to elicit detailed information with no additional investment of the professional’s time.
Thorough assessment often depends on detailed background information from parents. Missing essential facts about psychological, educational, or social functioning can lead to incomplete conclusions and increase the risk of misunderstanding or dispute about the work performed.
- Developmental, family, educational, and psychosocial history and current status (as reported by a parent)
- School adjustment, temperament, and medical history (as reported by a parent)
- Ratings relevant to self-esteem and peer relations
- Identifies important needs of each child that can be addressed in counselling/therapy and planning meetings
- Useful for custody evaluations, social studies, collaborative meetings, negotiation, mediation, and litigation
- Comparison of relative mother/father involvement in direct contact with the child
- Family history of psychological problems on both sides of the family (as reported by the parent)
- History of stressful and traumatic life events
- Family constellation, including stepparents and stepsiblings
- History of each parent’s psychological problems (as reported by the parent completing the questionnaire)
What Is Included in the WPQ-2
The WPQ-2 is structured to help professionals assemble an organized profile that can support clinical and forensic decision-making.
- A complete, organized developmental history
- Parents’ knowledge of problems, temperament, and personality strengths
- Family history and context, including psychological problems
- Stressful and traumatic life events history
- Educational and social functioning overview
The WPQ-2 includes structured information that can assist professionals in considering hypotheses and organizing relevant domains for further inquiry. (It is not a substitute for a full clinical assessment or professional judgment.)
Benefits of the WPQ-2
The WPQ-2 can improve intake quality, documentation, and efficiency—especially in complex or sensitive circumstances.
Helps parents clarify and organise their perceptions and relevant history, better preparing them for an initial consultation.
Creates a permanent record documenting the thoroughness of an evaluation or consultation process (e.g., for legal purposes or third-party review).
Provides a structured avenue for parental input in situations where limiting direct parent contact is beneficial—such as work with highly resistant adolescents— while still capturing essential developmental and contextual data.
Surveys positive personality attributes as well as difficulties, helping avoid an overly pathology-focused picture.
For Attorneys
In addition to the general benefits above, attorneys may find the WPQ-2 helpful for organizing case-relevant information early and identifying gaps that can be addressed proactively.
- A quick, convenient overview of the client’s children and needs
- Highlights areas to address in negotiation, mediation, collaborative processes, and litigation preparation
Reveals deficiencies in the client’s knowledge of relevant details about the children—gaps that can be remedied early to support better planning and parenting practice.
Provides parent-reported historical context (including psychological history as reported by the parent completing the questionnaire) that may inform positions taken in negotiation or litigation.
How to Purchase
To order the WPQ Parent Response Booklets and/or WPQ Manual, please make an inquiry.