Please reach out to me to confirm my availability to complete the report and I will let you know an estimate of time and cost.

Typically, an assessor will confirm the trial dates before accepting the appointment so they can (and should) indicate whether they can prepare the report within the required time- frame, and whether they will be available to testify. (Note that Supreme Court Family Rule 13-1, and Provincial Court (Family) Rules 11(1.1)(2) set out the service requirements for filing and serving the report and for serving the assessor with a notice to attend for cross-examination.)

How much time will you need to review and understand the results of the report?

If you are obtaining a full s. 211 report with psychometric testing it may run well over 100 pages. In order to critically assess the s. 211 report, you may also need to consult with a different expert who can identify and explain the report’s strengths and weaknesses, and review any test results. This will require additional time.

Section 211 reports prepared by private assessors are cost prohibitive for many parties. If the opposing party is requesting a s. 211 report, consider seeking that the court order that party to pay the full costs of the report or distribute costs relative to the parties’ respective incomes. The cost of potentially cross-examining the expert should be taken into account when the report is ordered as this is the primary method of challenging reports, and frequently falls on the party requesting cross-examination.