S. Randolph Kretchmar Law
Consulting for attorneys who are not mental health lawyers, but are confronted with involuntary hospitalization of a client or other psychiatric involvements in their regular cases.
A custody dispute turns on a psychiatric diagnosis. A probate matter raises a question of capacity. A school case involves behavioral treatment or hospitalization. A juvenile or misdemeanor case produces psychiatric records, medications, evaluations, or claims of mental illness. A client or opposing party is hospitalized—or threatened with hospitalization.
You don’t have to become a mental-health lawyer to deal professionally with these issues.
For over 25 years, my law practice has been representing people—often involuntary psychiatric patients—whose legal problems involve psychiatric diagnosis, hospitalization, treatment, medication, competency, dangerousness, and a ridiculously byzantine mental-health system.
My role could be as limited or as intensive as your situation dictates: telephone consultation, review of records or expert reports, preparation for a deposition or hearing, or continuing behind-the-scenes consultation throughout a case. I do not necessarily need to enter an appearance or affect or alter your relationship with your client. However, an hour with someone who knows this peculiar territory might improve your whole strategic situation in the case.