CHARTER OAK FORENSIC CONSULTANTS services

Psychiatric consultation on the standard of care and complex psychiatric cases.

Psychiatric consultation to schools and universities.

At Charter Oak Forensic Consultants, we provide thorough, objective assessments to help the legal system understand the impact of mental health in criminal cases. 

• Competency to Stand Trial: Determines whether a defendant is capable of understanding court proceedings and working meaningfully with their attorney. Related evaluations may address competency to waive Miranda rights, enter a plea, or proceed to sentencing.
• Criminal Responsibility (Insanity Defense): Evaluates a defendant’s mental state at the time of the alleged offense. It examines whether a mental illness or psychiatric condition impaired the individual’s ability to appreciate the nature and consequences of their actions, or to understand that their behavior was legally or morally wrong.
• Risk Assessment: Examines the likelihood of future violence or dangerous behavior. These evaluations are often requested for sentencing, parole hearings, or placement decisions to assess potential risks to the community or the individual. 
• Sentencing and Mitigation: Reviews mental health history, trauma, or developmental issues that may have contributed to a defendant’s behavior. Findings can provide important context for fair and informed sentencing decisions. 
• Juvenile Evaluations: In cases involving minors, evaluators may assess a juvenile’s competency, criminal responsibility, or amenability to treatment. These evaluations can determine eligibility for being tried in adult court. 

Our civil evaluations address psychiatric and psychological issues that arise in non-criminal legal proceedings. These assessments provide courts, attorneys, and organizations with clear, evidence-based opinions to guide decision-making. 

• Child Custody Evaluations: In family court, these evaluations assess the mental health and parenting capacity of each parent. These evaluations help the court make decisions that serve the child’s best interests, particularly in high-conflict custody disputes. 
• Psychological Damage/Personal Injury: Examines the psychological and emotional harm an individual has suffered due to an accident, trauma, harassment, or other adverse events. The findings may be used to support legal claims and quantify damages in a lawsuit. 
• Testamentary Capacity: Determines if a person had the mental capacity to make a will at the time it was written. This addresses whether they understood the nature of their property, its distribution, and the identity of their heirs.
• Guardianship/Conservatorship: Evaluates an individual’s capacity to manage their personal, financial, and medical affairs independently, or whether the appointment of a guardian or conservator is warranted.
• Fitness for Duty: Assesses a person’s mental state to determine if they can safely and effectively perform the requirements of their job. This can be requested by an employer, particularly for professionals in high-stakes positions where safety and judgment are critical. 
• Psychiatric Malpractice: Review whether a mental health professional’s care met accepted standards of practice, and if a failure to meet those standards resulted in harm to the patient. 
• Workers’ Compensation and Disability: Provides an independent medical examination (IME) to evaluate psychological impairment resulting from a work-related injury or condition, helping to inform disability or compensation claims. 
• Immigration Evaluations: Assess an immigrant’s mental health to determine if they have a condition that would impede their ability to understand and participate in proceedings such as asylum or naturalization.