Forensic Psychologist In Pembroke Pines, FL

Forensic Psychological Evaluations For Pembroke Pines And Broward County

Pembroke Pines cases are heard in the 17th Judicial Circuit, and the psychological evidence a judge there sees has to survive cross-examination from the other side. That’s the whole job. FC PsychExperts is a forensic and clinical psychology practice founded in 2008 by Dr. Cathy Colet, a Licensed Clinical and Forensic Psychologist. Our team of doctoral-level psychologists has conducted thousands of evaluations across Florida’s circuit courts.

We work with criminal defense attorneys, public defenders, prosecutors, family law attorneys, immigration lawyers and personal injury firms throughout Pembroke Pines, Miramar, Hollywood and the wider Broward County area. We also work directly with individuals and families who need psychological evidence for a case, with or without an attorney already involved.

When Criminal Charges Turn On Mental State

Dr. Matthew J. Jalazo, Psy.D. leads our criminal assessment work. He completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Forensic Psychology at Dorothea Dix Hospital and a Clinical Psychology Internship at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and he has practiced forensic psychology full-time for over two decades.

His criminal assessments cover competency to stand trial, criminal responsibility evaluations for insanity defense cases, competency to waive Miranda rights, violence risk assessments, psychosexual evaluations, sexually violent predator assessments, mitigation evaluations for downward departure and capital sentencing, and involuntary commitment assessments.

Each one integrates legal record review, structured clinical interviews, validated psychological testing and collateral data. We also assess for malingering and deception as a matter of course, which is what makes a report credible to both sides rather than only to the party who paid for it.

Custody Disputes And Family Law Matters

Dr. Colet conducts custody evaluations following Florida’s statutory requirements under Chapter 61. Our family law work includes parental capacity evaluations, child custody assessments, social investigations, psychological evaluations of parents and children, attachment and bonding assessments, and risk factor assessments related to potential abuse or neglect.

One thing parents are often surprised by. The evaluator is ethically bound to the best interests of the children, not to the parent who requested the assessment. Findings may support one parent, the other, or recommend an arrangement neither party asked for. That independence is exactly why courts weight these reports.

Where a case involves cognitive or neurological factors, Dr. Lauren Miller contributes nearly 20 years of experience as a Clinical and Forensic Neuropsychologist. Broward families can also access our neuropsychological evaluations in Pembroke Pines directly.

Immigration Cases Requiring Psychological Evidence

Dr. Colet has advanced training in immigration law and conducts immigration psychological evaluations for extreme and exceptional hardship cases, political asylum applications, spousal abuse documentation, Violence Against Women Act petitions, competency to participate in immigration proceedings, and same-sex couples hardship waivers.

She is available to conduct assessments at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers and correctional facilities throughout Florida. These are trauma-informed assessments built to meet the evidentiary standards immigration judges actually apply.

Psychological Injury In Civil Litigation

Motor vehicle accidents, workplace injuries and medical negligence cause harm that doesn’t show on an X-ray. Our personal and emotional injury evaluations document chronic pain, personality changes, PTSD, anxiety, depression, flashbacks and memory deficits for plaintiff and defense attorneys alike.

We also handle independent medical examinations, guardianship evaluations, civil commitment assessments, mental competency examinations for wills and power of attorney, pre- and post-adoption evaluations, and psychological autopsy assessments.

Juvenile Assessments

Minors are not small adults, and evaluating them takes methods built for their developmental stage. We provide competence to stand trial evaluations for minors, violence and sexual risk assessments, and sexual behavior assessments, with extensive experience alongside the Department of Juvenile Justice and child welfare organizations across Florida.

How An Assessment Works

Six steps: initial consultation, record review, clinical interview and testing, collateral contacts, report preparation, and feedback or testimony.

When you call, we discuss the legal question driving the assessment and match the case to the right psychologist. In-person sessions typically run two to four hours, and complex cases need more than one. Most assessments take two to six weeks from first consultation to completed report, depending on record availability and case complexity, and we work to court deadlines.

Fees vary with assessment type, session count, record review complexity and whether testimony is required. Health insurance generally does not cover forensic assessments, because they serve a legal purpose rather than a medical one. We discuss all fees before any work begins.