
ASSESSMENT APPROACH
Clarity, balance and cost-effectiveness
Dr Bird approaches expert witness work with a focus on balance and engagement. He believes that is essential to forge a positive and empathic relationship with the person or persons under assessment, to ensure that the opinion he forms is based on their best functioning. Without a positive engagement it is extremely difficult to gather the sensitive information required, and then ensure that any dynamic observed are part of the person's general functioning rather than their response to the assessment process itself. It is also essential in order to understand how the person views the world, and how that in turn shapes their actions.
Dr Bird receives consistently positive feedback for his legal work, both in terms of the quality of his reports and his testimony in the Courts. He presents his opinion in a detailed but clear way, avoiding jargon. He ensures that his opinion is clearly linked to the assessment information that he gathers, and explains how that information is relevant to the issues in question.
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HOURS AND RATES
LAA Compliance
All of Dr Bird's work is undertaken at the relevant LAA hourly rate and completed, where possible, within the hours recommended for a given assessment type.