Who Is the Client in Forensics?

Who the client is in a forensic rehabilitation evaluation has been the source of confusion and much debate among expert witnesses for many years. In an attempt to clarify the issue, several leaders within the rehabilitation forensic practice setting met in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 4, 2007 to review the various definitions of client among the codes of ethics to which forensic certificants or professional members adhere. The goal of the work group was to identify and define the intent of the relationship among the parties in a legal matter and to offer definitions to clarify those relationships utilizing terminology that might be universally accepted by certification and membership bodies to which many rehabilitation expert witnesses belong. This white paper addresses the history of the issue, the conflict caused by competing definitions, and offers a definition that has been accepted and ratified by the American Board of Vocational Experts, the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification, and the International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals.