Medico-legal Assessments

Medico-legal Independent Assessment

Our expert medico legal psychologists at Fort Healthcare offer professional and in-depth Decision Making Capacity Assessments for tribunals and other legal matters.

Services Locations: Chatswood, Hurstville, Burwood

What is a decision making capacity assessment?

A decision making capacity assessment (or ‘mental capacity assessment’) is a neuropsychological test that evaluates a person’s ability to make logical, reasonable, and informed decisions. It may also uncover any mental impairments due to illness, disability or injury, which may impact decision making capabilities.

Decision making capacity assessments play an important role in determining whether an individual can make decisions for themselves, or whether they may require a ‘legal guardian’ (or ‘litigation guardian’) to make decisions on their behalf.

At Fort Healthcare, our expert neuropsychologists provide decision making capacity assessments for the medico legal industry including tribunals and other legal matters. If you’re looking for a thorough and detailed medico legal report and decision making capacity assessment, enquire now or book an appointment today.

Whether you’re experiencing difficulties with memory, mood, attention, language, reading, problem solving, decision-making or in other areas of neuropsychological health, we offer you a wealth of experience and knowledge in assessment of decision making capacity.

When should decision making capacity be assessed?

Decision making capacity assessments should be carried out when there is a question of whether an individual lacks the capacity to make informed and reasonable decisions (especially important legal decisions that will have significant impacts on their lifestyle).

Some situations where a decision making capacity assessment may be needed include:

The individual continues to make ill-informed decisions that negatively impacts their quality of life
The individual experiences difficulty in remembering events (especially recent events or occurrences)
The individual feels confused very often, and experiences dramatic mood swings
The individual is diagnosed with an illness or condition that may impact their ability to making reasonable and informed decisions

Demonstrating capacity for courts & legal proceedings

If you’re involved in court proceedings or bodies such as NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal that require an investigation into demonstrating decision making capacity in a criminal or civil law context, our expert team of medico legal psychologists are here to help.

At Fort Healthcare, our decision making capacity assessments can help assess an individual’s capacity to:

Make financial, medical, lifestyle or personal decisions
Appoint an enduring Power of Attorney
Appoint a Medical Treatment Decision Maker
Be involved in court matters and legal proceedings (without a ‘legal guardian’)
Make or change a will (demonstrate ‘Testamentary Capacity’)

Plus, our assessments can be used for any other situation where a demonstration of decision making capacity is required. We ensure that your tailored capacity assessments and medico legal reports meet relevant guidelines and regulations in the legal sector.

You don’t have to go through your life struggles alone.

Simply give us a call and we are here to help.