Ethics & Professional Responsibility in Forensics Flashcards
7 cards from real CFC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Ethics & Professional Responsibility in Forensics flashcards as text
A forensic consultant is pressured by retaining counsel to omit findings that weaken the client's case from the written report. The consultant should:
Answer: Include all material findings regardless of how they affect the client's position
A forensic consultant must report all material findings completely and accurately; selective omission constitutes fraud on the court.
Which documentation practice best supports the ethical principle of reproducibility in forensic consulting?
Answer: Maintaining detailed contemporaneous records of all methods, data, and findings
Reproducibility requires that another qualified professional could follow the consultant's documented steps and reach the same conclusions.
A forensic consultant is contacted ex parte by the opposing party's attorney seeking information about the consultant's analysis. The consultant should:
Answer: Refuse to communicate and immediately notify retaining counsel
Ex parte contact with opposing counsel violates client confidentiality and professional ethics; the consultant must refuse and report it to retaining counsel.
The ethical concept of 'non-advocacy' in forensic consulting means that the consultant should:
Answer: Present findings that are balanced and not tailored to support a predetermined conclusion
Non-advocacy means the consultant presents objective findings without shaping conclusions to match the retaining party's desired outcome.
A CFC consultant's report is subpoenaed in a separate case. The consultant's primary obligation is to:
Answer: Comply with the subpoena after notifying the original retaining client and counsel
Legal process such as a subpoena overrides a confidentiality agreement, but the consultant must first notify the original retaining client and counsel.
Which action would most likely constitute fee-splitting misconduct for a Certified Forensic Consultant?
Answer: Paying a referral fee to a non-forensic attorney who sends cases
Paying referral fees to attorneys who send cases creates improper financial incentives that compromise the consultant's independence.
When a forensic consultant is offered a contingency fee arrangement — payment only if the client wins — the consultant should:
Answer: Decline, as contingency fees create a financial interest in the outcome that compromises objectivity
Contingency fees are prohibited for forensic experts because they create an impermissible financial stake in the litigation outcome.