No private forensic psychologist keeps an office inside Lauderdale Lakes. The closest one is ours, a short drive north in Fort Lauderdale, and our psychologists testify in Broward’s 17th Judicial Circuit regularly. If you searched this term, you were probably trying to settle one thing: who can actually do the evaluation, and how fast.
FC PsychExperts is a four-psychologist forensic practice serving attorneys, families, and the courts across Florida. We are retained by the defense and the prosecution, by plaintiff and defense, and we write reports built to hold up under cross-examination.
Request a retainer agreement if you are an attorney, or schedule a consultation if you are an individual or family. Either way, call 561-834-6585.
- Four Florida-licensed psychologists
- Testimony in the 1st, 2nd, 15th, 17th, 19th, and 20th judicial circuits
- Retained by both sides – prosecution and defense, plaintiff and defense
- Members of APA, AFCC, ATSA, APSAC, and Physicians for Human Rights
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Is there a Forensic Psychologist based in Lauderdale Lakes?
Not in private practice. As of July 2026, no licensed private forensic psychologist lists a primary office inside the Lauderdale Lakes city limits. You have three real options, and they are not interchangeable.
- Hire a private evaluator nearby. The closest private forensic practice is ours in Fort Lauderdale, about a 15-minute drive. You choose the evaluator and control the timeline.
- Ask the court to appoint one. In criminal competency and sanity matters, the judge appoints the expert and the court pays. More on the 2026 rules below.
- Use the public programs in the city. Henderson Behavioral Health runs Case Management and Forensic Services and a Forensic Assertive Community Treatment (FACT) team at 4700 North State Road 7 in Lauderdale Lakes (954-730-7284; FACT 954-485-8888). These serve people with serious mental illness already involved in the justice system. They are not evaluators you retain for a custody or injury case.
Most people who search this term need the first option and have never heard of the third. Here is how to tell which one is yours.
Which Path Fits Your Situation
You Are an Attorney or a Family Paying Privately
Retain a private forensic psychologist. This covers custody and parenting-plan evaluations, immigration hardship, personal and emotional injury, criminal defense work, and second opinions on another expert’s report. You decide who evaluates and when. Our nearest office to Lauderdale Lakes is in Fort Lauderdale.
You need a Court-Appointed Evaluator
File the motion and let the judge appoint. Under Florida Statute 916.115, the court appoints up to three experts to assess competency, sanity, or placement, and the court pays for them, so indigent defendants do not pay out of pocket. The catch is who the court is allowed to appoint, which changed in 2026.
You or a Family Member has Serious Mental Illness and is already in the System
Look at community programs first. Henderson’s forensic team and FACT program in Lauderdale Lakes, plus Parkside House (a forensic residential facility) and the COURT Project in neighboring Lauderhill, exist for stabilization and diversion, not for producing a litigation report.
What Changed in 2026 for Court-Appointed Evaluations
Since July 1, 2026, Florida keeps only psychiatrists, licensed psychologists, and physicians on the list courts use to appoint competency evaluators and only if they have finished the state’s forensic evaluator training.
Florida Statute 916.115, amended by chapter 2025-143, sets three requirements for a court-appointed expert: the right profession (psychiatrist, licensed psychologist, or physician), completion of the Department of Children and Families’ initial and annual forensic evaluator training, and separate juvenile training for juvenile cases. Evaluators already working as of July 1, 2024 had until July 1, 2026 to complete the annual training or come off the state list. That date has passed. DCF maintains the list and provides it to the courts each year. You can read the statute on the Florida Senate site.
This is the line most directory profiles blur. “Forensic psychologist” on a listing site is a marketing label; being on the DCF list for court appointments is a legal status. Before you rely on anyone for competency work, ask two things: are you a licensed psychologist, psychiatrist, or physician, and have you completed DCF forensic evaluator training? Our psychologists are Florida-licensed and practice forensically, ask us directly about current DCF-list status for your specific matter.
Forensic Evaluations We Perform
We handle forensic psychological evaluations across criminal, juvenile, civil, family, and immigration matters, and we go where the evaluation has to happen, courthouses, county jails, state and federal detention, ICE facilities, and juvenile detention across Florida.
Criminal law: competence to stand trial, criminal responsibility (insanity defense), competency to waive Miranda rights, mitigation, violence risk assessments, psychosexual and sexual risk assessments, sexually violent predator evaluations, capital sentencing, involuntary commitment and treatment, expert testimony, and consultation.
Juvenile law: competence to stand trial, violence and sexual risk assessment, sexual behavior assessment, expert testimony, and consultation.
Civil law: personal and emotional injury, psychological factors in physical trauma, independent medical examinations, immigration, guardianship, civil commitment, pre- and post-adoption evaluation, mental competency examinations, psychological autopsy, expert testimony, and consultation.
Family law: parental capacity assessments, social investigations, psychological evaluations, expert testimony, and consultation.
How Our Forensic Evaluation Works
A typical forensic evaluation takes about 10 hours of professional time and moves through seven steps, in order:
- Records review
- Clinical interview
- Mental status exam
- Psychological testing
- Scoring and interpretation
- Collateral interviews
- Written report
If the case reaches a hearing, we testify. Testimony is scheduled and billed separately from the evaluation.
We are usually booked about three weeks out. If you have a court date, reach out early so the report and any testimony line up with your calendar.
The Psychologists Who Would Handle Your Case
You work with named, Florida-licensed psychologists, not an anonymous team.
- Dr. Cathy Colet, Psy.D. – Licensed Psychologist (Florida PY9058, licensed 2014). Forensic focus; founder of the practice; trains doctoral-level students.
- Dr. R. Lauren Miller, Psy.D., J.D., ABAP – Board-certified neuropsychologist and Licensed Psychologist (Florida PY8992, licensed 2013). Also holds a law degree; trains doctoral-level students.
- Dr. Matthew J. Jalazo, Psy.D. – Licensed Psychologist (Florida PY7803, first licensed 2008). Forensic focus.
- Dr. Christopher J. Beltran, Psy.D. – Licensed Psychologist (Florida PY6432, first licensed 2007). Forensic focus.
Between them, our psychologists have testified in the 1st, 2nd, 15th, 17th, 19th, and 20th judicial circuits, for both the defense and the state, and for plaintiffs and defendants in civil matters.
Why a Four-Psychologist Team Beats a Solo Evaluator
Breadth and availability. One practice covers criminal, civil, family, immigration, and neuropsychological work, so you are not restarting your search when a case crosses categories. Two offices, Fort Lauderdale and Jupiter, cover both coasts. If a court date moves or you need a second reader, someone qualified is already in the building.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a forensic psychologist based in Lauderdale Lakes?
Not in private practice. As of 2026, no licensed private forensic psychologist lists a primary office inside the city limits. The nearest private forensic practice is ours in Fort Lauderdale. Inside the city, Henderson Behavioral Health runs public forensic and community programs for people with serious mental illness who are involved in the justice system.
How do I get a court-appointed evaluator instead of paying privately?
In criminal competency and sanity matters, your attorney moves the court and the judge appoints up to three experts under Florida Statute 916.115. The court pays for court-appointed experts, so indigent defendants do not pay out of pocket. The judge appoints from the DCF list of trained forensic evaluators.
Will health insurance cover a forensic evaluation?
Almost never. A forensic evaluation answers a legal question rather than providing treatment, so health insurance typically does not cover it. Private evaluations are paid by the retaining party; court-appointed evaluations are paid by the court.
What is the difference between someone who lists “forensic” online and someone the court will accept?
A directory label is marketing. For court-appointed competency work, Florida Statute 916.115 requires a psychiatrist, licensed psychologist, or physician who has completed the state’s forensic evaluator training and appears on the DCF list. Ask about profession, DCF training, and testimony history.
Do you evaluate in jails, detention centers, or ICE facilities?
Yes. We conduct evaluations at courthouses, county jails, state and federal detention facilities, ICE detention, and juvenile detention across Florida.
How soon can you start, and do you offer remote evaluations?
We are usually booked about three weeks out, so contact us early if you have a court date. Ask us about rush availability and remote or telehealth evaluations where the law and the matter allow.
Talk to a forensic psychologist who serves Lauderdale Lakes
Attorneys: request a retainer agreement to lock in scope and timing. Individuals and families: schedule a consultation, and we will tell you honestly whether we can provide an objective evaluation or whether your matter needs a different path.
Nearest office to Lauderdale Lakes: FC PsychExperts, 1451 W. Cypress Creek Road, Suite 300, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309. Phone 561-834-6585. Email drcolet@fcpsychexperts.com. Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30 AM – 4:30 PM, Sat 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM. Also serving from our Jupiter office.