Is a psychiatrist's opinion clear and convincing evidence?
Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2016 8:31 am
Will a psychiatrist's opinion be considered clear and convincing evidence at a termination hearing? For example, if he evaluates you and issues a report saying you're unfit to raise your kid, is that clear and convincing evidence of unfitness, assuming that all the facts (i.e. what you said, what you did, etc.) he relied on in reaching his conclusion are true?
Facts can be interpreted more than one way; for instance, if it's undisputed that your kid was wandering the streets unsupervised, one person might say that's evidence of unfitness, while another person might disagree. But is a psychiatrist's opinion on the proper interpretation of the facts at hand considered authoritative?
Facts can be interpreted more than one way; for instance, if it's undisputed that your kid was wandering the streets unsupervised, one person might say that's evidence of unfitness, while another person might disagree. But is a psychiatrist's opinion on the proper interpretation of the facts at hand considered authoritative?