For solicitors
Expert forensic opinions for solicitors
Dr Michael Robertson — independent forensic toxicologist, 30+ years — provides opinions and reports that withstand scrutiny in court.
- Reports in 10–14 business days
- Urgent options for court dates
- Family, criminal, workplace & tribunals
- Legal Aid accepted
Turnaround
Reports in 10–14 business days
That is the standard timeframe, and the clock starts when your letter of instruction, the documents and payment are all in — not at first enquiry. It is measured in business days, so a fortnight of them is roughly three calendar weeks.
Urgent matters are often turned around sooner. Tell us the court date at the outset and the report is prioritised against it. Where a deadline cannot be met, you are told before the engagement is accepted — not after you have relied on it.
Who you deal with
Dr Robertson directly, once instructed
Once instructions, documents and payment are submitted, the matter is his. Questions about the analysis, the scope of the opinion or what the underlying data will support go to him directly — not through a case manager, and not to a junior drafting under a name that will later be cross-examined.
He does travel to give evidence, so time with him is scheduled rather than taken cold. The request form and email reach him fastest.
What to send when instructing
Providing these at first enquiry avoids the back-and-forth that otherwise costs a week before any substantive work starts.
1. Letter of instruction
- Outline the questions you want addressed.
- Clear instructions ensure the report answers the issues actually before the court, not adjacent ones.
2. Type of law
- Family, criminal, workplace, or another area.
- This determines how the interpretation is framed and pitched.
3. Documents and test results
- Final laboratory results — drug, alcohol, steroid, poison or other.
- Roadside saliva results, if applicable.
- For false-positive or disputed-metabolite cases: the client's prescription, or a letter from their treating doctor confirming medication and dosage.
4. Urgency and court dates
- Tell us if it's urgent, and give the date.
- Availability is confirmed against your deadline before the engagement is accepted.
5. Fee estimate
- A rough quote comes back on the above.
- A final quote is confirmed once Dr Robertson has reviewed the full material, before any report work begins.
6. Subpoena assistance
- Dr Robertson can help draft subpoenas so they actually capture the underlying laboratory data.
- A subpoena that returns only the certificate, without the chromatograms and QC records behind it, is a common and expensive false economy.
Why solicitors engage Dr Robertson
- Independent and impartial — instructed directly, not adjusted to suit the instructing party.
- Reports in clear, legally appropriate language a bench can follow.
- Experience across family law, criminal law, workplace matters and tribunals.
- Reports in 10–14 business days, with urgent options where a court date requires it.
- You correspond with Dr Robertson himself once the matter is engaged, not with a case manager.
- Subpoena drafting assistance to obtain the underlying laboratory data.
Next steps
- 1. Prepare the documents above.
- 2. Submit them through the request form, or call.
- 3. Dr Robertson reviews and provides an initial quote.
- 4. Once instructions and payment are confirmed, you deal with him directly — and the 10–14 business days runs from that point.
Court date approaching?
Tell us the date at first contact. We confirm availability against your deadline, and decline rather than accept work we cannot deliver in time.