Dr. McMillan's Forensic Practice
Part of Dr. McMillan's practice involves working with the courts. He sometimes serves the courts in domestic cases or in other court cases as a forensic expert. In domestic disputes he may serve in the role of custody evaluator or parent coordinator. These are two different roles which are most often court-appointed. In all other parts of Dr. McMillan's practice all things said to him are confidential. When working with courts Dr. McMillan serves the role of a transparent neutral. Everything he knows may become part of a public record.
If Dr. McMillan serves as an agreed mediator for a couple, then sometimes he may have limitations on what he can say to the court. Generally, however, when courts are involved there is no confidentiality.
The primary thing that qualifies Dr. McMillan for this work is that his wife is a judge. He has watched her and consulted her as she has made agonizing heart-breaking decisions that concerned families and children. He understands the difficulty of this role.
Dr. McMillan wants all parties to be clear that in family cases his client is first the court, then the children and then the parents. He never is for hire as an expert for one parent against the other. Though one parent may choose to hire him and pay his fee, he considers himself to be in the service of the court and the best interests of the child(ren). He will report to the client's attorney and the client may choose not to use him as their expert.