Forensic Psychiatry is that branch of Psychiatry that specializes in the application of psychiatric knowledge to legal issues for legal ends. A Forensic Psychiatric Evaluation may be helpful to answer questions that pertain to civil and criminal cases.

A Forensic Psychiatric Evaluation may be requested by a judge, a lawyer, a governmental institution or any individual or entity in the community that wishes to have an expert opinion about a psychiatric matter as it affects a legal case.

For example, judges and lawyers frequently request "Competency Evaluation." Judges and Lawyers may want to know whether an individual is "competent to stand trial," "competent to sign a legal contract'" "competent to make a will," etc. The ability of an individual to sign a valid will is called "Testamentary Capacity."

Other instances in which a Forensic Psychiatry evaluation may be helpful are cases of "mental disability." The office of Worker's Compensation, the office of Social Security or for that matter, any individual in the community may be interested in knowing whether an individual is psychiatrically disabled to the point where he/she should collect disability benefits. This is an area where only experienced and Board Certified Forensic Psychiatrists can provide a sound opinion. Because of the potential for abuse of this type of evaluation, the Center for Medicine and Wellness will make every effort to provide evaluations, examinations and opinions that reach the highest standard of integrity and professionalism.

A Forensic evaluation may also be required in cases of criminal responsibility, insanity, malingering, child custody and dependency cases.

At the Center for Medicine and Wellness we take great pride in maintaining clinical integrity and honesty. Under no circumstances will we allow undue external influence to contaminate our evaluations. Please call the Center for Medicine and Wellness only if you are truly interested in obtaining an honest, truthful objective evaluation. We will not examine individuals if we believe that there are less than honest ulterior motives behind the request for evaluation.

Please call or email the Center for Medicine and Psychiatry to obtain additional information.