Forensic Evaluation in Tampa, FL: Expert Assessments for Criminal, Family, and Civil Law Cases
FC PsychExperts is a forensic and clinical psychology practice that provides court-focused psychological evaluation in Tampa, FL for individuals, attorneys, and families involved in legal proceedings. Founded in 2008 by Dr. Cathy Colet, a Licensed Clinical and Forensic Psychologist, our team of doctoral-level psychologists has conducted hundreds of evaluations. We serve criminal defense attorneys, prosecutors, family law professionals, and individuals throughout Tampa and the greater Tampa Bay area who need objective, evidence-based assessments that hold up in court.
When a legal case depends on understanding someone’s mental state, cognitive ability, parenting fitness, or psychological injuries, standard clinical assessments fall short. You need a forensic evaluation, which is a specialized psychological assessment designed specifically to answer legal questions with the rigor, objectivity, and documentation that courts require.
What Is a Forensic Evaluation and When Do You Need One?
This type of specialized psychological assessment is conducted to answer specific legal questions within criminal, civil, or family court proceedings. Unlike clinical assessments that focus on diagnosis and treatment, forensic assessments at FC PsychExperts focus on producing objective, evidence-based findings that assist judges, attorneys, and juries in making informed legal decisions. These assessments use validated psychological testing instruments, structured clinical interviews, and comprehensive record reviews to reach conclusions that meet court admissibility standards.
You may need this type of assessment when a legal matter requires expert psychological insight. Common situations include criminal cases questioning a defendant’s mental competency, custody disputes where parenting fitness is contested, personal injury claims requiring documentation of psychological harm, and immigration proceedings that require evidence of trauma or hardship.
Forensic assessments carry weight in court precisely because they follow strict ethical and methodological standards. The psychologist conducting the assessment does not advocate for either side. Instead, they present impartial findings based on clinical data.
Types of Forensic Psychological Assessments We Conduct in Tampa, FL
FC PsychExperts conducts forensic psychological assessments across every major area of law, including criminal defense, family court, civil litigation, juvenile justice, and immigration proceedings. Our team’s combined experience covers the full spectrum of court-related psychological assessments that Tampa attorneys and courts require.
Criminal Law Assessments
Our psychologists evaluate defendants and individuals involved in criminal proceedings across multiple assessment types. Dr. Matthew J. Jalazo, Psy.D., who completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Forensic Psychology at Dorothea Dix Hospital and trained at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, conducts competency to stand trial evaluations, criminal responsibility assessments for insanity defense cases, competency to waive Miranda rights evaluations, violence risk assessments, psychosexual evaluations, sexually violent predator assessments, mitigation evaluations for downward departure and capital sentencing, and involuntary commitment assessments.
Each criminal assessment follows a systematic process that includes reviewing legal records and police reports, conducting structured clinical interviews, administering validated psychological testing instruments, and integrating all data sources into a comprehensive written report.
Family Law Assessments
Family court assessments at FC PsychExperts prioritize the best interests of children while providing courts with the objective data they need. Dr. Cathy Colet has completed specialized training in custody evaluations and has extensive experience conducting parental capacity assessments, social investigations, and psychological evaluations for family court. In family court, the forensic psychologist is ethically required to represent the best interests of the children, regardless of which party requested the assessment.
Civil Law Assessments
Dr. Colet has firsthand experience working in a Level 1 Trauma Center directly with trauma patients and their families. Our civil assessments cover personal and emotional injury evaluations, psychological factors in physical trauma cases, independent medical examinations, guardianship evaluations, civil commitment assessments, mental competency examinations, pre-adoption and post-adoption evaluations, and psychological autopsy assessments.
Juvenile Law Assessments
Our team has extensive experience providing psychological evaluations for juvenile cases involving government agencies and private entities. Juvenile assessments include competence to stand trial for minors, violence and sexual risk assessments, and expert witness testimony.
Immigration Psychological Assessments
Dr. Colet has advanced training in immigration law and provides forensic psychological assessments for extreme and exceptional hardship cases, political asylum applications, Violence Against Women Act petitions, and competency to participate in immigration proceedings.
How Does the Assessment Process Work in Tampa?
A forensic psychological assessment at FC PsychExperts follows a structured, multi-step process designed for thoroughness and legal defensibility. The process typically involves an initial consultation, comprehensive record review, clinical interview and psychological testing, collateral contacts, detailed report preparation, and feedback or courtroom testimony when needed. Most assessments are completed within two to four sessions.
A forensic psychological assessment at FC PsychExperts follows a structured, multi-step process designed for thoroughness and legal defensibility. The process typically involves an initial consultation, comprehensive record review, clinical interview and psychological testing, collateral contacts, detailed report preparation, and feedback or courtroom testimony when needed. Most assessments are completed within two to four sessions.
How Forensic Assessments Differ from Clinical Assessments
The key difference is purpose. A clinical assessment answers “What treatment does this person need?” A forensic assessment answers legal questions such as “Is this person competent to stand trial?” FC PsychExperts maintains a 75% forensic and 25% clinical practice balance, which means our psychologists bring treatment insight to evaluative work while maintaining the strict objectivity courts demand.
Many psychologists who primarily do clinical work lack the specialized training and courtroom experience that forensic work demands. At FC PsychExperts, every evaluator holds doctoral-level forensic training and has testified in criminal, civil, and family court proceedings.
Why Tampa Attorneys and Families Choose FC PsychExperts
FC PsychExperts stands apart from other forensic psychology providers serving Tampa because of our multi-psychologist team structure, combined decades of courtroom experience, and dual forensic-clinical expertise. Unlike solo practitioners, we match your case to the psychologist whose specific training aligns with your legal questions.
A Team of Specialists, Not a Solo Practice
Dr. Cathy Colet brings expertise in criminal, family, and immigration assessments. Dr. Matthew J. Jalazo brings over two decades of forensic experience, including military psychology expertise from Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Blanchfield Army Community Hospital. Dr. Lauren Miller, a Clinical and Forensic Neuropsychologist with nearly 20 years of experience, handles cases involving brain injury and cognitive impairment. This team structure means we accept complex cases solo practitioners cannot.
Military Families and Veterans at MacDill AFB
Tampa is home to MacDill Air Force Base, headquarters of U.S. Central Command and U.S. Special Operations Command, along with a substantial veteran population across the Tampa Bay area. Dr. Jalazo’s military background includes coordinating behavioral health services for active-duty soldiers, operational psychology in combat zones, and extensive VA work. No other forensic psychology provider serving Tampa offers this depth of military expertise. Whether your case involves a service member facing legal proceedings, a veteran navigating disability claims, or a military family in a custody dispute, our team understands military life.
Serving Tampa, Hillsborough County, and the Tampa Bay Area
FC PsychExperts serves individuals, families, and legal professionals throughout Tampa and the surrounding Tampa Bay region, including Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco counties.
We work with criminal defense attorneys, prosecutors, family law attorneys, immigration attorneys, and personal injury firms. Beyond legal professionals, we serve individuals and families directly, including parents seeking custody assessments, accident victims, individuals pursuing immigration relief, and families navigating guardianship decisions.
Take the Next Step: Schedule Your Forensic Evaluation in Tampa, FL
When your legal case requires expert psychological insight, FC PsychExperts delivers the thorough, objective assessments that Tampa attorneys and courts trust.