It's not whether the parents are using; it's when and how much. Understanding substance use in family court proceedings from a forensic toxicologist's perspective

Substance use is frequently raised in parenting disputes, yet the presence of alcohol or other drugs alone tells us little about a person's capacity to parent safely. How should clinicians and legal practitioners interpret toxicology results? When does substance use translate into impairment or risk, and when might assumptions about harm be unsupported by the evidence?

Join an interdisciplinary panel exploring the science of substance use and its practical application in family court proceedings. The session will provide an accessible introduction to toxicology, examine how drug type, dosage, timing, and frequency influence impairment and functioning, and discuss the implications for parenting capacity, medication interactions, and risk assessment.

Drawing on real case examples, including matters where toxicology evidence was central to findings of significant harm, and others where allegations of substance use were not supported by the scientific evidence, the panel will consider how psychologists, psychiatrists, and lawyers can interpret toxicology results to inform clinical opinions and legal decision-making.

This promises to be a practical, thought-provoking session for clinicians, legal practitioners, and family report writers involved in family law matters.

About the presenter: Daniel Patterson is a forensic toxicologist specialising in drugs of abuse, with extensive experience providing expert evidence across a range of jurisdictions. He regularly appears in the Family Court (FCFCoA), as well as in criminal courts from Local to Supreme level in New South Wales and Queensland, and in civil matters before the Supreme Court of Queensland. He has also appeared in industrial relations forums, including the Fair Work Commission, and in tribunals such as NCAT.

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