Families are often faced with the court appointing a Rule 11-706 expert. Before we address what this expert is about, let’s first examine the reason why such experts exist. Rule 11-706 refers to a rule of evidence in which the court is given discretion to appoint experts as the court sees fit to advise the court on matters that are outside the comprehension or expertise of the court. This is when the court will appoint a 11-706 expert, also known as a 706 expert.
A 706 expert is generally appointed in family law cases to address matters involving custody cases. There are other types of 706 experts when it comes to complex business dealings and financial issues, but most people run into 706 experts in the context of custody cases. These experts are given the duty to use generally accepted standards and principles to ascertain the best interests of the child in the case.
This is where many conflicts arise. I hate to say it, but courts are prone to “rubber” stamp 706 experts and their opinions with very little thought about the underlying basis. That is why if you are in a custody case and have a custody evaluator/expert/706 involved you need to be aware of the many rules and challenges that can arise from the use of such an expert.
Many lawyers simply aren’t up for the fight involved when it comes to challenging an expert. That is why we handle many complex custody cases. We do take on the experts. We aren’t afraid of that fight and are willing to fight for the justice our clients deserve. If you are faced with a case involving a custody/706 expert then contact the experts. We are your advocates, we are your experts we are the Justice Legal Group.
Email us at info@justicelegalgroup.com or call 505-880-8737.