Announcements

CROSS EXAMINATION OF EXPERTS TRAINING OPPORTUNITY - AFCC Fall Symposium - October 16, 2026

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Maclean Wiedemann Lawyers LLP
Medicine Hat, Alberta

https://www.afccalberta.org/event-details/fall-sym...

The Mental Health Professional Witness in Family Court and in Arbitration Hearings: A Practical Guide for Family Lawyers

In this full-day training, four experienced professionals representing social work, psychology, law, and the judiciary will provide family lawyers with practical insights into working effectively with mental health professionals and expert evidence in family court and arbitration proceedings.
Topics include:
• Deciding whether to call the mental health professional as a witness
• Distinguishing between factual (lay) and expert evidence and the implications for litigation
• Preparing mental health professionals for court / arbitration hearing attendance, including:
o Reviewing qualifications, experience, and curriculum vitae
o Ensuring they understand the expectations of expert witnesses in court
o Supporting effective communication under cross-examination
• Best practices for examining and cross-examining mental health professionals
• Common pitfalls when introducing expert evidence and how to avoid them
• Insights from a family court justice on what the court finds most helpful from both counsel and mental health professionals; and are differences if the process is arbitration

This program offers a unique opportunity to hear directly from professionals across disciplines and gain practical tools to improve the presentation and use of mental health evidence in family law cases.

3 days ago

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