Fees

Fee Schedule

In addition to the Fee Schedule listed below, Dr. Pleshchuk will consider accepting other fee agreements that may be required or customary for a particular agency, law firm, or court. This work will be accepted on a case-by-case basis and will require a contractual agreement between the parties.

Psychological Evaluation Fees

  • Forensic Record/File Review: $350 per hour (100 Pages Per Hour)
  • Forensic Psychological Testing: $350 per hour
  • Forensic Clinical Interview: $350 per hour
  • Forensic Report Writing: $350 per hour
  • Attorney Consultation: $350 per hour
  • Schedule A Evaluation/Letter: $750 total
  • Rush Fee: $2000 – 1 Day Turnaround; $1500 – 2 to 5 Day Turnaround

Court Testimony Fees

  • Preparation and Testimony Time: $350 per hour (Five-Hour Minimum)
  • Deposition Time: $350 per hour (Three-Hour Minimum)
  • In-Court Consultation/Observation: $350 per hour

Mentorship Fees

  • Completed In-Person or Virtually: $350 per hour

Payment Policy

  • Evaluation: Following an initial consultation for a psychological evaluation, a retainer of five (5) hours ($1,750) is customarily submitted along with this office’s fee agreement. One-half of this amount ($875) is non-refundable but may be applied toward a clinical interview, record review, consultation, or late cancellation of an evaluation. If the retainer is not paid before the scheduled testing date, the testing session will be postponed until payment is received.
  • All retainer payments must be submitted, along with the fee agreement, to begin work on a case. If requesting a Rush fee, that payment must be included with the retained ($2000 – 1 Day Turnaround; $1500 – 2 to 5 Day Turnaround). The final payment is due on the day of the evaluation. Unused retainer balances are returned as credit.
  • Mentorship/Consultation: May be afforded a reduced retainer fee of 1 hour ($350).
  • Deposition: A retainer fee of three (3) hours ($1,050) is required when scheduling a deposition. Scheduled deposition time must include a minimum of three (3) hours. If the retainer fee is not received two weeks prior to the deposition date, other appointments may be scheduled in its place. Please note that there is no refund for unused scheduled deposition time; any additional time beyond the scheduled time may not be available. Please schedule according. Any balance that is unpaid by opposing counsel (when opposing counsel is paying for the deposition time) will be billed to the client’s attorney. 
  • Schedule A Evaluation: Are paid in full at the time of scheduling.
  • Trial Testimony: A retainer fee of a minimum of five (5) hours (two hours minimum of preparation time and three hours minimum of testifying) is required for trial preparation and appearance. If additional time is required beyond what was covered in the paid retainer, the balance will be billed to the attorney after the trial. If required to be on call, the rate is $2800 per eight (8) hour day ($500 per hour I am required to be on call), and I will need to know at least one week in advance which hours of the day I am requested to hold all other professional activities for this purpose. When more than eight hours of work are performed in one day, the actual time will be prorated using my hourly rate.

Any balance due must be paid within fourteen (14) days of invoice receipt. Any unpaid balance after fourteen (14) days will incur a 6% late fee every fourteen days.

Payment accepted via Zelle, Cash, and Check. Any returned checks will be charged a $50 fee.

Cancellation Policy

Please contact the office directly at 916.258.5636 to cancel any appointment scheduled. Cancellation of a forensic interview and/or testing appointment must be made five (5) business days prior to that appointment. Since alternative bookings are unlikely at such short notice, our policy includes a charge of two (2) hours ($700) for all “no show,” or late cancellations occurring with insufficient notice. This represents the amount of time reserved for this service.

Travel Expenses 

Expenses incurred by the Evaluator shall be reimbursed by the client (or attorney) for travel more
than fifty (50) miles outside of the Folsom Area as follows:

  • Travel by Car (Evaluator Drives Own Car): 70 cents per mile PLUS regular hourly fee.
  • Travel by Car Service (Uber/etc): The actual cost of the ride, plus a ten percent (10%) handling fee, no regular Hourly fee.
  • Car Rental: In the event of travel beyond the local area, the Evaluator shall be reimbursed for the cost of a mid-sized rental car and any associated expenses, plus a ten percent (10%) handling fee. Regular hourly fee may apply.
  • Travel by Air or Train (business class): The actual cost of the round-trip ticket, plus a ten percent (10%) handling fee, no regular hourly fee.
  • Expenses associated with photography, reproduction of documents and photographs, preparation of exhibits, storage of materials or evidence, and other reasonable expenditures shall be reimbursed at market rates.
  • Lodging: For any travel of more than eighty (80) miles from Folsom, the Evaluator shall be reimbursed for the cost of meals and lodging, plus a ten percent (10%) handling fee. Unless otherwise instructed by the client (or attorney) or unless refundable tickets are not available, the Evaluator will purchase refundable tickets for any necessary travel. Should the client-attorney request that the Evaluator purchase non-refundable tickets in order to travel at a lower cost, or if refundable tickets are not available, the client (or attorney) shall reimburse the Evaluator for the cost of any non-refundable ticket at the rate outlined herein, whether or not the ticket is used.

If the Evaluator travels outside the area for an overnight trip, a flat rate of $1000 a day for travel the day(s) before/around an assessment, speaking engagement, or court time will be added (in lieu of the above-mentioned hourly fee). The hourly fee for the day of the assessment, speaking engagement, or court time will then be applied.

*This fee schedule does not apply to contracted rates.

Disclaimer

It is critical that it is understood that, regardless of the source of fees or referral for all evaluations, Dr. Pleshchuk operates as an independent evaluator and consultant. Conclusions will be offered in an unbiased, ethical, and professional manner utilizing a best practices approach. As a consequence, the conclusions and recommendations that result may not always support the outcome that was anticipated or desired by counsel. You are welcome to discuss the findings of any evaluation in order to determine how you wish to incorporate these services and the conclusions that were drawn in your case.

Contract: 
Please return the signed contract to RPKForensic@RPKForensic.com