FAQs

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We provide psychological & psychiatric assessments, reports and treatment for individuals and organisations in the legal  & rehabilitation sectors. Please click on one of the sector specific navigation buttons above to read about each sector in more detail.

Answer:

No, there is no extra charge for our service so fees should be the same as going to an expert directly. We have agreed preferential rates with our psychiatrists as they recognise the additional services that we provide to them. Our fees are very competitive as we work with over 1,000 experts nationwide and so have a good understanding of what the market prices are for all types of psychiatric services.  So let us do the running around for you and ensure that you get the right expert at a competitive price.

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We simply need a few details of your case and we will then provide you with up to 3 CVs, quotations and timescales for the work that you require.  We aim to respond to all email enquiries within 1 hour and to submit details of appropriate experts within 24 hours. Once we have the details of your case we will select a range of suitable professionals and discuss the information with them.  They confirm their costs and timescales with us and we then confirm these with you. You will be allocated a dedicated Client Manager, who will co-ordinate the whole process for you to ensure that appointments are arranged promptly, queries are handled efficiently and professionally, all parties are updated regularly and any deadlines are met.

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At Psychiatry Direct we only work with qualified psychiatrists but we do have a sister company Psychology Direct who offer services to the legal profession from Psychologists.

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We vett all of our experts prior to registration and only accept applications from psychiatrists who are registered with the appropriate regulatory authorities such as the General Medical Council (GMC).  We also ask that they provide an anonymous copy of a previous report for us to check, before we give them their first instruction. In addition to this we constantly monitor the quality of our psychiatrists in terms of their reports and ability to stick to agreed fees & deadlines.  All reports are checked prior to being released to you.

Answer:

Fees vary according to the type and complexity of the work that is required. Please contact us and we will provide an estimate of fees based on the details of your case. Our quotations provide a breakdown of the hours required for each part of the assessment, with the relevant hourly rate. Any variation to these fees, as a result of increases in the details of the instruction, will be discussed and agreed with you in advance.

Answer:

Yes, much of the Expert Witness work that our psychiatrists undertake is publicly funded so we are well versed with the requirements and fee structures associated with this.  All of our psychiatrists are aware of the recent changes to fees for Expert Witnesses via the Legal Services Commission and are happy to work within the new guidelines. Our quotations will provide a breakdown of the hours concerned for each aspect of the assessment and the relevant hourly rate.  Please contact us for a detailed quotation.

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Yes, thanks to the vast nature of our network we have many psychiatrists who speak additional languages and also have experience and understanding of foreign cultures. Many of our psychiatrists are also experienced in conducting assessments via an interpreter.

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The more information you can give us the better.  Please see our "Choosing the right Expert" article for details of the kind of information that is useful. The more comprehensive the information you can provide to us the more accurate we will be able to be with regard to costs & timescales.

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Whilst these do vary depending upon the complexity of the work required, we aim to arrange assessment appointments within 2-3 weeks and deliver reports within 4-6 weeks of instruction.  We will advise timescales with the fee estimate and will then be able to confirm this once the letter of instruction and documentation has been received. Having said that, we do have a reputation for turning things around very quickly and this is due to the vast range of Experts that we have access to.  So if you have a very short deadline then give us a call and we will do our best to meet it!

Answer:

Our network of psychiatrists is nationwide and hence we aim to select an Expert near to you and/or your clients to save time and money. Depending upon the nature of the case and your client's availability we will discuss the options with you and then agree the most appropriate place to conduct the assessment. This may be at the psychiatrist's clinic, the client’s home, your offices or at an alternative venue local to your client.

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In order to instruct one of our psychiatrist and help us co-ordinate the case for you we ask that you: - Email a copy of the letter of instruction to us, including confirmation of funding - Post the bundle to our office in Dorking (see Contact Us page for our address), we do not have a DX address Once received we will make the necessary arrangements for the assessment and confirm all the details with you.

Answer:

Please click on the Client Terms & Conditions link at the bottom of the page to find full details.