Expert evidence for
abuse injury claims.
CPR Part 35 compliant medico-legal reports prepared for solicitors conducting civil abuse claims, CICA applications, redress scheme referrals and group litigation. Our panel combines consultant-level psychiatric expertise with the trauma-informed sensitivity these cases demand — across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Expert evidence is the foundation of
every abuse injury claim.
Civil abuse claims almost invariably rest on proof of a recognisable psychiatric injury — and on a causation analysis robust enough to withstand the scrutiny of the opposing expert and the court. In practice, the quality of the CPR Part 35 medico-legal report, the clinical rigour of the diagnostic formulation, and the defensibility of the causation reasoning are what determine whether a civil abuse claim settles at a proper level, proceeds to trial on contested liability, or collapses on the evidence.
Fourteen specialisms.
Every category of abuse claim.
Abuse claims are not a single clinical problem — they divide along settings (institutional, domestic, public authority), timeframes (contemporary, historic, non-recent) and procedural routes (civil, CICA, redress scheme, group litigation). Our practice areas map directly to how solicitors instruct us.
Child Physical Abuse & NAI
Psychiatric assessments addressing non-accidental injury, with coordinated input on developmental impact, attachment disruption and long-term psychological sequelae.
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Child Sexual Abuse
Forensic child and adolescent psychiatric evidence for civil claims, CICA applications and redress scheme referrals — including contact and non-contact offending.
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Emotional Abuse & Neglect
Reports evaluating chronic emotional maltreatment and neglect — often presenting as complex trauma, attachment disorder or persistent depressive illness.
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Harmful Sexual Behaviour
Specialist assessment of harmful sexual behaviour in children and adolescents — addressing risk formulation, treatment need and developmental context.
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FII & Perplexing Presentations
Expert opinion on Fabricated or Induced Illness and perplexing presentations in paediatric care — for safeguarding, family court and civil proceedings.
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Domestic Abuse & Coercive Control
Psychiatric opinion on complex PTSD, the Serious Crime Act 2015 s.76 behaviours, and the psychological sequelae of sustained coercive and controlling conduct.
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Elder Abuse
Old age psychiatric assessments addressing abuse and neglect of older adults — including capacity considerations, financial exploitation and care home failings.
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Disability-Related Abuse
Assessments for claimants with learning disability, autism or physical disability — addressing psychiatric injury, capacity and Mental Capacity Act considerations.
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Historical Abuse Claims
Adult survivor assessments addressing long-term psychiatric sequelae, complex PTSD and the s.33 Limitation Act 1980 discretion in non-recent cases.
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Institutional Abuse
Expert evidence for claims against children’s homes, schools, religious organisations, sports clubs and psychiatric units — including redress schemes and group litigation.
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Spiritual & Faith-Based Abuse
Assessments addressing abuse within religious and faith-based settings — including coercive doctrine, exploitation by clergy and the long-term identity impact on survivors.
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Trafficking & Modern Slavery
Psychiatric reports for NRM referrals, asylum proceedings and civil claims under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 — including complex trauma and dissociative presentations.
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Honour-Based Abuse & Forced Marriage
Specialist assessments for FMPO applications, civil claims and asylum cases — addressing psychiatric injury arising from coercion, control and family violence.
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Online & Digital Abuse
Reports addressing image-based sexual abuse, online grooming, sextortion and the psychiatric impact of digital harassment under the Online Safety Act 2023.
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Four principles that hold
every report together.
Trauma-informed assessment
Interviews are conducted at a pace, venue and format appropriate to the claimant — including domiciliary visits, secure settings and remote assessment where clinically justified. The risk of re-traumatisation is managed at every stage, and the expert is free to pause, reschedule or structure sessions to protect the claimant’s wellbeing without compromising the evidential task.
Rigorous causation reasoning
Abuse claims frequently involve the difficult task of disentangling the psychiatric effects of the index abuse from other adverse life experiences in childhood or adulthood. Our experts address causation expressly — identifying the contribution of the abuse, apportioning where necessary, and explaining the reasoning in language the court can follow.
CPR Part 35 compliance
Every report carries the Part 35 declaration and statement of truth, and is prepared in accordance with Practice Direction 35 and the Civil Justice Council’s 2014 Guidance for the Instruction of Experts. The expert’s overriding duty to the court under CPR 35.3 is the anchor of the work — and is visible in the structure, reasoning and tone of the report.
Robust, Court-Ready Evidence
Reports are drafted with the expectation that they will be tested — by Part 35 questions, by the opposing expert in a joint discussion, and ultimately in cross-examination. Opinions are anchored in the clinical literature, inconsistencies in the records are addressed openly, and the reasoning is transparent enough to withstand adversarial scrutiny.
Every framework in which
abuse claims are brought.
Abuse litigation rarely moves in a single procedural lane. A claimant may have a parallel CICA application, a civil claim against a vicariously liable institution and, increasingly, a redress scheme route. Our reports are structured to the requirements of each.
Support that continues
well beyond report delivery.
A well-drafted report is rarely the end of the expert’s involvement. Part 35 questions, joint statements, surveillance material, amended claimant statements and ultimately trial attendance all require the expert to re-engage with the evidence.
Single Joint Expert work
Full SJE capacity under CPR 35.7, with the impartiality and balance the role requires.
Part 35 Questions
Clinically reasoned responses to CPR 35.6 questions — within the time set by the court.
Joint expert discussions
Attendance at joint meetings and preparation of joint statements narrowing the issues in dispute.
Court attendance
Oral evidence at trial, inquests and tribunals — in person or via CVP / secure video link.
Questions from
solicitors we work with.
Do you accept Legal Aid cases for abuse injury claims?
Yes. We regularly accept cases funded under Legal Aid Agency contracts, including child abuse claims, public law and Court of Protection matters. Our panel is familiar with LAA prior-authority procedures, costs limits and the statutory timescales that typically apply to these instructions.
Can your panel act as a Single Joint Expert?
Yes. SJE work under CPR 35.7 is a core part of our practice. Our experts are trained in the impartiality duties attaching to the role — including the obligation under CPR 35.3 to place the duty to the court above the interests of either instructing party — and routinely prepare reports on joint instruction by claimant and defendant solicitors.
Do you handle historic abuse cases with limitation issues?
Yes. Historic abuse claims — in particular those turning on the s.33 Limitation Act 1980 discretion — form a core area of our work. Our reports can address the psychiatric factors relevant to the discretion directly, including the claimant’s ability to disclose, the cogency of memory over time and whether a fair trial remains possible on the psychiatric evidence.
Can assessments be conducted remotely, in hospital or at home?
Yes. We offer in-person, remote (video) and domiciliary assessments — including at hospitals, care homes, secure psychiatric units, prisons and private residences — where clinically appropriate. The choice of venue is ultimately a matter for the expert’s clinical judgement in each case.
What is the typical turnaround time for a report?
Most instructions are allocated to an expert within 48 hours. Reports are typically delivered within six to eight weeks of full records being received, though complex historic cases and matters requiring records from multiple institutions may take longer. Court-deadline and urgent matters are prioritised and an expedited timetable is agreed at the intake stage.
Are reports suitable for CICA and redress scheme applications?
Yes. We prepare reports compliant with the 2012 Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme — structured around the mental injury tariff, the disabling mental illness criteria and, where relevant, the sexual assault and child abuse tariffs. We also prepare reports for the principal live redress schemes, including Church of England, Lambeth and comparable institutional schemes.
What qualifications and memberships do your experts hold?
Our psychiatric panel comprises consultant-grade clinicians on the GMC Specialist Register with Royal College of Psychiatrists membership (MRCPsych). Our psychology panel is drawn from HCPC-registered Practitioner Psychologists with Chartered status (BPS). All experts complete formal expert witness training and comply with the RCPsych and BPS guidance on giving expert evidence.
Do you act for claimants, defendants, or both?
Both. In practice most of our instructions come from claimant firms, but the independence of the expert and the duty under CPR 35.3 is identical regardless of who instructs. We accept defendant instructions and single joint expert appointments on the same terms.
Searching for an expert on your abuse injury case?
Send a brief case summary — alleged abuse, jurisdiction, procedural route and any time-critical deadlines — and our panel will confirm availability, scope and timescales within one working day.