Carter Brown Associates are pleased to introduce their new ‘multidisciplinary team expert witness approach' through the LSC Pilot.

The Pilot has come into force following the Chief Medical Officer's report "Bearing Good Witness: reforming the delivery of medical expert evidence in family law cases. The Pilot project will see the provision of multi-disciplinary expert witness teams to family courts in Public Law Childcare Proceedings.

Contracts will shortly be signed with the LSC and the Pilot will commence on 1^st April 2009. Carter Brown Associates will be covering Pilot cases in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Sheffield.

Please note that the Pilot scheme is only for cases where there is to be a joint instruction of experts. This will not affect the way in which Carter Brown Associates operate in the instruction of single expert witnesses.

How the Pilot will benefit you: -

The LSC will pay Carter Brown Associates direct for the work undertaken. You will not therefore have to seek prior authority for the experts work and there will be no need to submit evidence of obtaining more than one quote for the work.

Although two or more experts will be involved you will have a document that will form part of the report which will outline areas of agreement/disagreement between the experts. Hopefully this will obviate the need for experts meetings.

How the process will work: -

When making a referral, please call our Referrals Department in the usual way on 01623 661 089 or refer online through our website.

Please indicate which experts you will require, either specifically by name, or by profession, e.g. we will require the joint instruction of a Psychologist and a Psychiatrist on this case; we require a Social Worker and Child Psychologist; a Forensic Psychologist and child and adolescent psychiatrist etc.

CV's, timescales and costs will be provided to you in the usual way.

Carter Brown Associates will coordinate the ‘expert witness team' from the point of receipt of instructions through to the provision of their joint report. This will include the management of joint experts meetings during the case to establish the conclusions of the final report.

The Court Order will need to appoint Carter Brown Associates for the provision of the joint expert witness report. However you will still have the choice of experts as is currently the case.