The Capacity to Make Decisions

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capacity to make decisions, a woman thinking and looking outside of the window

Here are some stories where the capacity for one to make a decision has been questioned. Do you agree with the judgments that have been made?   In a commentary of the UK perspective on Competency to Stand Trial written by Tim Exworthy, he discussed a Court of Appeal case which concerned a woman who… Read more »

Fitness to Stand Trial

fitness to stand trial, a picture of a gavel in a court room

Considerations for fitness to stand trial Fitness to stand trial is also known as fitness to plead. This refers to whether a person: Has the capacity to understand criminal proceedings in court. Can understand what they are charged with. Can understand the court process. Can actively participate in a trial. Can understand and know when… Read more »

The post-legal age for experts

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So he we are; 3 years ago I was so busy doing family court reports I could not stop to think. Now I do hardly any. Quite a lot of enquiries; quite a lot of ‘beauty parades’. Some litigants in person, some private law work but the public law stuff is down to a trickle…. Read more »

Legal Aid Cuts and Family Experts

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From the point of view of an expert, the legal aid cuts are affecting us in a number of different ways.  Firstly 10% of the Consortium of Expert Witnesses to the Family Courts have closed down their offices already.  Secondly we can expect a significant number of experienced experts to cease work over the next… Read more »

Stress – what can I do about it?

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One person’s stress is another person’s reason for getting up in the morning.  In other words stress is a very personal thing.  Some people we know seem to thrive on tight deadlines, last minute meetings and the like yet that same person might find a visit to their mother-in-law terribly stressful.  In order to try… Read more »

Insomnia – does medication help?

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Insomnia means literally not being able to sleep but the term includes a whole range of difficulties associated with sleep. For most people having a bad night’s sleep is not the end of the world but some people seem to ‘need their sleep’ more than others. The body usually adapts to a single bad night… Read more »