Family and child proceedings expert witness reports
Assessment of parents, children, and other parties in public and private law family proceedings. Reports address risk, parenting capacity, and the impact of mental illness on the welfare of the child.
These reports are most often prepared as part of our child and adolescent psychiatry, adult psychiatry, and female psychiatry work.
Conditions and presentations
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Attachment assessment
Including disorganised attachment and reactive attachment disorder.
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Care and contact proceedings
Risk and welfare opinion for public and private law cases.
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Child and adolescent mental health
Mood, anxiety, trauma, and behavioural presentations.
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Child sexual abuse assessment
Psychiatric impact and treatment needs in alleged victims.
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Domestic abuse and coercive control sequelae
Complex PTSD, depression, and emotional regulation difficulties in survivors.
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Fabricated or induced illness
Assessment of caregiver presentation and risk to the child.
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Neurodevelopmental presentations
ADHD and autism spectrum in parents and in children.
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Parental alienation
Psychiatric perspective on contested presentations.
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Parental learning disability
Capacity to parent with appropriate support.
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Parenting capacity and mental health
Impact of parental illness on day-to-day care and the welfare of the child.
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Perinatal and postnatal mental illness
Depression, anxiety, and puerperal psychosis.
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Personality disorders and relational difficulties
Impact on attachment, contact, and the parent-child relationship.
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Psychosomatic and functional symptoms
Where physical presentations have a psychiatric origin.
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Special guardianship and adoption
Mental health screening of prospective carers.
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Substance misuse and dual diagnosis
Stability, relapse risk, and timescales for change.
Typical questions for the expert
- What is the diagnosis and what treatment is needed?
- What is the impact on parenting capacity and the welfare of the child?
- What is the timescale for meaningful change set against the child's timescales?
Reports provided
FPR Part 25 compliant reports, with joint statements and oral evidence as directed.
Experts owe their primary duty to the court under CPR Part 35 and equivalent procedural rules.
Related practice areas
Cases in this area often overlap with our work on mental capacity and court of protection, criminal proceedings, and cica claims. You may also want to read our full list of practice areas.
Instruct an expert
Send your letter of instruction and we will match a suitable expert without delay.