Under What Conditions Should Litigants Have Access to Their Forensic Reports? -Catherine Miller, JD Once a forensic custody evaluation is completed and submitted to the Court, counsel, litigants, and retained experts seek to review the report to prepare for trial. Typically, a copy of the report is provided to attorneys who review it with their clients but do not reveal the children’s statements to the evaluator. It is well-established practice not to provide reports to […]

Three Judges Saunter Sequentially Before the Bar: A Retired Judge’s Humble Reflections Responsive to the Fall 2024 Article penned by Retired Judge Matthew Cooper (“Forensics: Costly and Difficult, But Often Necessary and Almost Always Helpful”) and the Fall 2024 juxtaposing Article penned by Retired Judge Carol MacKenzie (“Damned if You Do and Damned if You Don’t”) The Vantage of this Article: How to Maximize the Benefits proffered in Judge Cooper’s “full-throated defense of a court’s […]

Most forensic mental health professionals (FMHPs) go to work in the morning wanting to do good things.  They hope to help courts working with parents and children involved in protracted custody disputes. They hope their evaluations clarify children’s needs and educate courts about the risks and benefits of various parenting plans….

The Wittmann article cogently argues for forensic evaluations in light of the Hevesi bill in the NY state legislature…The article by Judge Pearl takes the stance that issue-focused targeted forensic evaluations can be more efficient, less costly, and can address very specific issues of any case, e.g. parent-child relationship, mental health of one or both parents…