Who Prepares A Psychological Expert Report? All Information About This Document
There are many doubts that come to mind when we hear those words: “Psychological Expert Report.” What’s that? What is it for, what is its objective? Who can ask for it? In what situations can it be contributed? Who makes these reports?… Below I will answer some of your questions.
What is the psychological expert report and who can request it?
To begin, let’s define what a psychological expert report is. The psychological expert report is a document that is contributed to judicial procedures and that provides a professional and technical opinion on the evaluation and assessment of specific people and cases
We must know that the objective of the expert opinion is the evaluation of the subjects immersed in the judicial procedure in question, to be able to make a judgment based on all the information collected, as well as results and assessment, always based on the expert’s own knowledge. specialized forensic.
The preparation of an expert report can occur from different requests. The psychological expert can be contributed to the judicial procedure “ex parte”, which means that the interested party himself has requested the commissioning of the report, most of the time advised by his/her lawyer. Or it can be requested from “the court”, in which case the designated expert will carry out the appropriate evaluations, sending the report to said instance.
Regarding this issue, we could talk about the eternal debate as to whether the expert reports are really objective and impartial. In this case I will refer to the regulation of the actions, the preparation of these reports and the intervention of the experts, which in Spain is regulated by the Civil Procedure Law (LEC)
It is understood that if the professional has integrity, is guided by the code of ethics and good ethics, he will inform his client of the phases and processes involved in carrying out an expert opinion and that there is a possibility that the results may not be as expected. (those that are good for the procedure) and how to act in such a case. An expert would be guilty of a crime if he falsified or invented results in his expert report; he could be sanctioned or lose his license.
In what situations can it be contributed?
The different types of judicial procedures to which said expert opinions can be contributed are of diverse nature For example, they are provided to determine guardianship and custody, visitation regimes for minors (determine in certain situations which is the best option for the benefit of the minor and taking into account the conditions of the parents), to determine permanent or temporary disabilities (demonstrate that we have or not a disorder and the ability to work), in cases of gender violence (demonstrate that one has been a victim of gender violence), abuse, to determine the volitional capacity of a subject (if he was in full use of his faculties at the time of committing a crime or knows how to distinguish good from evil, right from wrong or what is within the norm from what is not), to determine the credibility of a testimony (the validity and credibility of a testimonial), existence or not of psychological trace (determine if there are consequences resulting from a crime in a victim)…
Who issues the report, clinical or forensic psychologist?
Due to the importance and relevance that these reports can have on people’s lives, let us remember that they are contributed to judicial procedures, the tests, protocols and standards of evaluation and assessment are not the same as those used in clinical psychology. In forensic psychology, protocols, tests, tests, etc. are mandatory, expressly validated for the forensic field, whose scientific basis allows greater objectivity, validity, ruling out simulation… And a series of parameters that are not necessary in clinical psychology.
Hence, the psychologist is a forensic psychologist and is trained, specialized and has extensive knowledge in the field and in said specific methodology There is a reason for all this, let us keep in mind that subjects immersed in judicial proceedings have motivations that may lead them to try to simulate or conceal certain alterations (economic reasons, revenge…). Being in the hands of an expert will ensure that a correct use, manipulation, as well as good interpretation of the aforementioned evaluation and assessment methodology.
Who makes the psychological expert reports?
To prepare said report or expert report, it is necessary for the professional to have legal-forensic experience and training, so that the expert opinion complies with ethical and deontological precepts, is objective and impartial, capable of preparing a report with relevant and verifiable evidence. Essential characteristics and knowledge of the expert for the report to be valid in a trial. Once the expert opinion has been provided to the judicial procedure, the forensic psychologist must be prepared, since he may be called to trial, an act called ratification, to appear and answer the questions asked by the judge, lawyers, prosecutor or authority in question.
Do not hesitate and if you are immersed in a judicial procedure and need a psychological expert, go and be sure to put yourself in the hands of an expert psychologist specialized in legal and forensic someone with training and experience who can guide you and resolve your doubts and perform a quality forensic psychological expert with validity in the legal field.
