Independent medico-legal neuropsychology · Queensland Independent neuropsychological assessment for legal and insurance matters.
Independent assessment and expert reports for solicitors, insurers, courts and tribunals: personal injury and motor accident claims, workers' compensation, lifetime care schemes, disability insurance, and capacity and estate matters.
Need a clinical assessment for rehabilitation or a treating team instead? See our brain injury and stroke page.
- Who this is for
- Solicitors, insurers, claims managers, courts and tribunals needing an independent expert opinion on cognitive function or capacity.
- What it can clarify
- The nature and extent of cognitive impairment, its consistency with the injury or condition alleged, the validity of the presentation, capacity, and the implications for function and work.
- What you receive
- A report to the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules and Federal Court requirements, addressing each question in your instructions, plus conferences and evidence where required.
- Format
- Records review, a clinical interview and standardised testing in Southport, including performance and symptom validity measures; a full morning or afternoon.
- Next step
- Request a quote with the type of matter, the questions and the volume of records, or send your letter of instruction.
An expert has a duty to assist the court and is not an advocate for either party. That duty overrides any obligation to the party who instructs or pays.
We accept instructions from either party, jointly, or from the court. Performance and symptom validity are assessed in every matter and addressed in the report. We do not provide independent opinions on people we treat, and we raise any conflict of interest at the outset.
Matters we accept
The matters we are instructed in
- Personal injury and compulsory third party (CTP) claims where head injury or cognitive complaint is alleged
- WorkCover Queensland and self-insurer matters, with neuropsychological testing to the standard the Guidelines for Evaluation of Permanent Impairment require
- National Injury Insurance Scheme Queensland (NIISQ) participants with a traumatic brain injury from a Queensland motor vehicle accident
- Total and permanent disability (TPD), income protection and life insurance claims
- Department of Veterans' Affairs and military matters
- Testamentary capacity, guardianship and estate matters, including retrospective opinions on capacity at the time a will or enduring document was made
- Family law, criminal and other forensic matters where a neuropsychological opinion is sought
- Review of existing reports and second opinions
What is involved
From instruction to report
- Instructions and conflict check. Send the type of matter, the questions, the approximate volume of records and any deadline. We confirm scope, timeframe and fee in writing before proceeding.
- Letter of instruction and records. Send the letter of instruction, pleadings or claim summary, medical and hospital records, imaging reports and any statements. Include prior neuropsychological reports, with raw data where available. Records are needed at least 14 days before the assessment.
- Assessment. A clinical interview and a session of standardised testing at our Southport rooms, including performance and symptom validity measures, with an interpreter where needed.
- Report. Prepared to the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 1999 (Qld) and the Federal Court's Expert Evidence Practice Note. It sets out qualifications, the facts and assumptions relied on, the records reviewed, the assessment, the reasons for each opinion, the literature relied on, any range of opinion, and the expert's declaration.
- After the report. Supplementary reports, conferences with counsel, conclaves and evidence in court or at a tribunal, by arrangement.
Assessments are conducted by an endorsed clinical neuropsychologist who is a member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS) College of Clinical Neuropsychologists. That is the standard the Queensland impairment guidelines require. Qualifications and registration are on our team page.
Fees
Quoted against your instructions
Medico-legal work is charged at an hourly rate set with reference to the Australian Psychological Society's recommended schedule. The rate covers records review, interview, testing, analysis and report writing. The quote is calculated against your letter of instruction and the volume of records, and confirmed in writing. Conferences, supplementary reports and court attendance are charged at the same rate. Fees are the responsibility of the instructing party and GST applies. See our fees and policies.
For instructing parties
What to include in your instructions
- The questions to be answered, the applicable rules, and whether a single joint or court-appointed expert regime applies
- The records: ambulance and hospital records, imaging reports, treating specialist and GP correspondence, prior neuropsychological or psychological reports with raw data, and the claimant's statement
- Dates of any earlier cognitive testing; repeat testing within a short interval can inflate scores
- Deadlines and hearing dates
- The impairment scheme and guide edition, where a percentage impairment is sought
Use the quote request for an initial estimate. Letters of instruction and records can be sent through our secure referral form, by fax on 07 5594 0995, or by email to enquiry at brainandmind.com.au.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Is a letter of instruction required?
Yes. The assessment and report are built around the questions in your letter of instruction. We can provide an initial quote from a summary of the matter, and the fee is confirmed against the letter of instruction and the records.
What is the turnaround time for a medico-legal report?
The timeframe depends on the volume of records and the scheduling of the assessment, and we confirm it in writing when we accept the matter. Tell us any hearing date or deadline at the outset. Shorter timeframes can often be arranged by agreement.
What does a medico-legal neuropsychological assessment cost?
Fees are charged at an hourly rate set with reference to the Australian Psychological Society's recommended schedule. We quote in writing against your letter of instruction and the volume of records, and GST applies.
Do you assess claimants in Queensland CTP claims?
Yes. We assess claimants where head injury or cognitive complaint is alleged in a compulsory third party claim. We follow the Motor Accident Insurance Commission's medico-legal guideline on the timing of assessment and on consulting any treating neuropsychologist.
Who certifies the impairment rating in a WorkCover Queensland matter?
Queensland's Guidelines for Evaluation of Permanent Impairment require the neuropsychological testing to be conducted by a registered clinical neuropsychologist who is a member of, or eligible for, the APS College of Clinical Neuropsychologists. Our assessments meet that standard. Under the Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003, the degree of permanent impairment is certified by a doctor, informed by that testing. For a psychiatric or psychological injury, a medical assessment tribunal certifies it.
Will the neuropsychologist attend court to give evidence?
Yes. We are available for conferences with counsel, conclaves, supplementary reports and evidence in court or at a tribunal, in person or by video link where the court allows.
Discuss a matter
Tell us the type of matter, the questions to be addressed, the approximate volume of records and any deadline. We reply with a written quote and timeframe.
Letters of instruction and records by secure form, fax or email · Phone enquiries are welcome during business hours on 0452 452 262; if we are with a client, please leave a message and we will call you back.
Request a quote Send instructionsSources: Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 1999 (Qld), Chapter 11 Part 5 and Schedule 1C; Federal Court of Australia, Expert Evidence Practice Note (GPN-EXPT); Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 (Qld), sections 179 and 493, and WorkCover Queensland, Guidelines for Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, clause 5.9; Motor Accident Insurance Commission (Qld), Guideline: Arranging medico-legal assessments; National Injury Insurance Scheme Queensland. This page is general information, not legal advice.