Expert Witness FAQs
How do I know your Experts are qualified and of good quality?
Answer:
We vett all of our psychologists prior to registration and only accept applications from psychologists who are registered with the Health Professions Council and/or the British Psychological Society. We also ask that they provide an anonymous copy of a previous report for us to check, before we give them their first instruction. In addition to this we constantly monitor the quality of our psychologists in terms of their reports and ability to stick to agreed fees & deadlines. All reports are checked prior to being released to you.What are the psychologist's fees?
Answer:
Fees vary according to the type and complexity of the assessment that is required. However, all of our psychologists are aware of the recent changes in fees for legally aided work funded by the legal services commission and work within the relevant guidelines. Please contact us and we will provide an estimate of fees based on the details of your case. Our quotations provide a breakdown of the hours required for each part of the assessment, with the relevant hourly rate. Any variation to these fees, as a result of increases in the details of the instruction, will be discussed and agreed with you in advance.Do you accept Legal Aid funded cases?
Answer:
Yes, much of the Expert Witness work that our psychologists undertake is publicly funded so we are well versed with the requirements and fee structures associated with this. All of our psychologists are aware of the recent changes to fees for Expert Witnesses via the Legal Services Commission and are happy to work within the new guidelines. Our quotations will provide a breakdown of the hours concerned for each aspect of the assessment and the relevant hourly rate. Please contact us for a detailed quotation.Do you have Experts with specialist language or cultural skills?
Answer:
Yes, thanks to the vast nature of our network we have many psychologists who speak additional languages and also have experience and understanding of foreign cultures. Many of our psychologists are also experienced in conducting assessments via an interpreter.What information do you need to be able to provide a fee estimate?
Answer:
The more information you can give us the better. Please see our "Choosing the right Expert" article for details of the kind of information that is useful. The more comprehensive the information you can provide to us the more accurate we will be able to be with regard to costs & timescales.What are your average timescales for a report?
Answer:
Whilst these do vary depending upon the complexity of the assessment, we aim to deliver the report within 4-6 weeks of instruction. We will confirm estimated timescales with the fee estimate and will then be able to confirm this once the letter of instruction and bundle has been received. Having said that, we do have a reputation for turning reports around very quickly and this is due to the vast range of Experts that we have access to. So if you have a very short deadline then give us a call and we will do our best to meet it!Where do the assessments take place?
Answer:
Our network of psychologists is nationwide and hence we aim to select an Expert near to you and/or your clients to save time and money. For Criminal cases psychologists will normally conduct the assessment either at the prison (if the client is detained) or at your offices. In all other types of cases we will discuss the options with you and then the psychologist will judge the most appropriate place to conduct the assessment. This may be at the client’s home, your offices or at an alternative venue local to your client.What do you require to confirm an instruction?
Answer:
In order to instruct one of our psychologists and help us co-ordinate the case for you we ask that you: - Email a copy of the letter of instruction to us, including confirmation of funding - Post the bundle to our office in Dorking (see Contact Us page for our address), we do not have a DX address Once received we will make the necessary arrangements for the assessment and confirm all the details with you.What are your Terms & Conditions?
Answer:
Please click on the Client Terms & Conditions link at the bottom of the page to find full details.Couldn’t Find the Answer to your Question?
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