Expert Witness Services

Dr. Evans is available to be retained as an expert witness in your custody matter. He offers two types of expert witness services: Instructional Testimony (without document review) or Expert Testimony with thorough review. 

Expert Witness/Instructional Testimony (No Document Review)

This service places Dr. Evans in the role of an expert witness retained by counsel. In this capacity, his work remains part of the retaining attorney’s work product unless and until he is disclosed as a testifying expert. His testimony is elicited through hypothetical questions, typically grounded in the factual allegations of the case. Little to no case documentation is reviewed, and there is no direct contact with the litigants or the children; all communication is exclusively with the retaining attorney.

Through his responses, Dr. Evans educates the Court regarding the central clinical and forensic issues presented by the case. Most frequently, direct and cross-examination address matters related to parental alienation in the child custody context, including the recognized symptoms of parental alienation and the commonly observed strategies employed by alienating parents. Depending on the needs of the case, testimony may also encompass broader child custody issues, child maltreatment or abuse, reunification considerations, and related forensic topics.

Expert Witness with Thorough Document Review

This service places Dr. Evans within the scope of the retaining attorney’s work product unless and until he is disclosed as a testifying expert witness. In this role, Dr. Evans conducts a review of case materials provided by retaining counsel. Once disclosed, the reviewed documentation may be subject to subpoena, and Dr. Evans may be deposed in advance of trial. He may then provide testimony at trial and be subject to direct and cross-examination.

Dr. Evans offers expert opinions regarding whether and how the contents of the reviewed materials support or refute the presence of parental alienation, child maltreatment, or related forensic issues. While he does not typically provide specific custody recommendations, he does offer opinions concerning the child’s best interests as informed by the current empirical research and professional literature applicable to cases of this nature.

Most case reviews center on allegations of parental alienation. In such matters, the analysis commonly addresses the frequently observed strategies employed by alienating parents and the recognized symptoms of parental alienation. To facilitate a focused and efficient review, Dr. Evans requests that counsel organize and clearly identify the most relevant documentation as it relates to evidence supporting or contradicting these strategies and symptoms.