Guides

Medico-legal reports differ from routine medical documents. Experts must put the court's interests first, not those of the instructing party.

A guide to psychiatric medico-legal reports: who instructs them, what they contain, and how they differ from treating clinician's letters.

Occupational stress in personal injury and employment tribunal disability/discrimination claims under Equality Act 2010.

A guide to single joint experts in civil and family proceedings: what they are, when courts order them, how instructions work, and costs.

PTSD diagnosis using ICD-11 and DSM-5-TR, symptom validity testing, malingering detection, NICE treatment guidance.

Differences between psychiatrists (GMC-regulated doctors) and psychologists (regulated specialists in testing).

Guide to psychiatric injury claims following accidents: PTSD and other conditions, primary and secondary victims, expert assessment requirements.

Guide to psychiatric assessment of parents in child protection (care) cases: permission to instruct, Cafcass role, key questions, and Legal Aid funding.

What happens at a medico-legal psychiatric assessment, how it differs from NHS care, and what happens after the psychiatrist has finished.

Postnatal depression in care proceedings, infanticide law, criminal liability and clinical negligence for missed diagnosis.

How capacity is assessed and recorded under the Mental Capacity Act 2005: the five principles, the two-stage functional test, and what a written record should contain.

Capacity assessment reports: Mental Capacity Act 2005, the two-stage test, litigation capacity, capacity to make a will, and managing finances.

Legal Aid Agency fixed rates, prior authority, London vs non-London rates, cancellation and disbursements.

For solicitors: choosing specialty, checking GMC registration, drafting letter of instruction, fees and timescales.

Where experts are listed, how to verify registration and credentials, key questions to ask before instructing, and red flags to watch for.

Expert witness training, report structure, joint statements, cross-examination, professional standards and judicial criticisms.

Psychiatric evidence in criminal proceedings: fitness to plead, Pritchard criteria, diminished responsibility, Mental Health Act dispositions.

Understanding the Civil Procedure Rules Part 35: the expert's duty to the court, statement of truth, written questions, and consequences of breach.

Public-law children cases from a parent's perspective: the timetable, threshold, legal aid, guardian's role, expert assessments, and possible outcomes.