The rise in the use of expert witnesses in many legal cases has triggered a corresponding growth in the medico-legal sector. Many firms are offering a full service approach but NovaMedicoLegal has decided to go against the trend by offering a highly specialised psychiatry service.
Psychiatric witnesses are called upon for such a wide variety of cases – family, employment, immigration and criminal to name a few – that a one size fits all approach may struggle to meet the brief.
The group of consultant psychiatrists behind NovaMedicoLegal, all experienced expert witnesses, concluded that further specialisation would deliver the very best service to legal firms. In addition, the structure of the firm allows truly nationwide coverage, matching the appropriate specialist to the geographical area of the enquiry.
NovaMedicoLegal director and consultant psychiatrist Dr Shaharyar Alikhan explains: “Psychiatric evidence is crucial in many cases and the areas of law we are asked to cover are as diverse as our medical specialisms. We have found that matching the case to the psychiatrist with the best expertise in that area allows us to offer the most efficient and accurate interviewing and report writing service.”
As you would expect, every psychiatrist at NovaMedicoLegal is on the General Medical Council Specialist Register. All the consultants have worked individually as specialist witnesses but felt it was the right time to combine this expertise under the NovaMedicoLegal brand.
Dr Alikhan thinks the decision is already proving successful: “It’s great to be able to provide such a complete service. It allows us to specialise rather than generalise and use our years of experience for the benefit of our clients.”
With an efficient referral system and a growing panel of psychiatrists, the service provided is seamless and takes some of the burden from legal professionals. Based in central Leeds and working with psychiatrists throughout the UK, this new specialist expert model is a welcome addition to the Yorkshire legal landscape.
