Dr. Zaplac studied law and clinical psychology in a joint degree program at Hahnemann University and Villanova University School of Law.  She has a law degree and a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology.  Dr. Zaplac has completed hundreds of forensic evaluations, many of which required her to serve as an expert witness in both deposition and courtroom settings.  She has been qualified as an expert in the areas of Clinical Psychology, Child Sexual Abuse, Child Psychology, Emotional Injury, and various types of Competency determinations.

Forensic services are only provided for attorneys and courts.  If you believe or if you have been told to seek, the services of a forensic psychologist, you should ask your attorney to handle that matter for you.  Forensic psychology services are not properly provided to individual litigants.

If your attorney hires or the court designates a forensic psychologist to evaluate your or your situation, that forensic psychologist should not be otherwise involved with you or your family or any parties to the same legal matter.  In other words, your therapist cannot be the same person as your forensic evaluator. 

Forensic evaluations can be helpful in determining the nature and degree of emotional injury a person experienced as a result of a crime or civil matter; competency of a person to participate in certain kinds of matters such as medical or legal decision making, parenting, entering into contracts, participating in a legal proceeding, and other matters; mental state at the time of an alleged offense; and other matters that involve a question of a person's mental functioning and abilities.