Senior child and family welfare professional and recognised expert witness in abuse law
I’m currently available for referrals relating to abuse law or other relevant areas of practice including from plaintiffs and defendants in civil matters.
Based in Melbourne, I am available to work across jurisdictions in Australia and New Zealand, including travel as required.
To discuss your matter (no obligation) please call 0466 465 421.
There are no silly questions!
Alternatively, inquiries and letters of instruction may be sent directly to josh@drjoshfergeus.com
Am I right for your matter?
There are a number of common reasons my opinion is sought. These include:
analysis of precautions and measures taken or not taken to protect a child or children, including responses to child protection notifications
consideration of whether a child or children should have reasonably been considered vulnerable or ‘at risk’ at a particular time or under particular circumstances
analysis of practices and procedures in foster care, kinship care, residential care, family group homes, orphanages, and youth justice facilities
In providing an opinion it is generally necessary to consider accepted contemporaneous practice, jurisdictional context, and the evolution of research and the established evidence base pertaining to child abuse, child protection and child welfare.
How I add value
Credibility: decades of relevant professional practice and a distinguished academic record
Clarity: able to explain complex issues on the page and in the room in a way that judges, juries and lawyers can understand
Neutrality: honest, well-reasoned opinions supported by established evidence
I am reliable and responsive, and always stick to deadline.
I am regularly briefed by firms including Slater & Gordon, Maurice Blackburn, Arnold Thomas & Becker, Angela Sdrinis Legal, Shine Lawyers, Lewis Holdway Lawyers, and The Firm Law Group.
Recent matters include:
Institutional physical/sexual abuse, 2026 (TAS)
Institutional physical/sexual abuse, 2026 (VIC)
Reunification planning, 2026 (WA)
Institutional physical/sexual abuse, 2026 (SA/VIC)
Institutional sexual abuse, 2026 (SA)
Institutional physical/sexual abuse, 2026 (VIC)
Institutional sexual abuse, 2026 (VIC)
Institutional sexual abuse, 2026 (VIC)
Institutional sexual abuse, 2026 (VIC)
Institutional physical/sexual abuse, 2026 (VIC)
Institutional sexual abuse, 2026 (VIC)
Institutional sexual abuse, 2026 (VIC)
Institutional sexual abuse, 2026 (VIC)
Institutional sexual abuse, 2026 (NSW/VIC)
Institutional sexual abuse, 2025 (TAS)
Institutional sexual abuse, 2026 (VIC)
Institutional physical/sexual abuse, 2025 (VIC)
Failure to protect, 2025 (TAS)
Institutional physical/sexual abuse, 2025 (TAS)
Failure to protect, 2025 (TAS/VIC)
Institutional physical/sexual abuse, 2025 (VIC)
Institutional sexual abuse, 2025 (VIC)
Institutional sexual abuse, 2025 (VIC)
Institutional sexual abuse, 2025 (VIC)
Failure to protect, 2025 (VIC)
Failure to protect, 2025 (QLD/VIC)
Institutional physical/sexual abuse, 2025 (VIC)
Failure to protect, 2025 (TAS)
Failure to protect, 2025 (VIC)
Institutional sexual abuse, 2025 (VIC)
Institutional physical/sexual abuse, 2025 (VIC)
Institutional physical/sexual abuse, 2025 (VIC)
Failure to protect/institutional physical/sexual abuse, 2025 (VIC)
Institutional sexual abuse, 2025 (VIC)
Failure to protect/institutional physical/sexual abuse, 2025 (TAS)
My expertise includes:
Assessing allegations of child abuse and neglect;
Assessing risk and vulnerability in children and young people;
The role of foster, kinship and residential carers, including training and assessment;
The mental health of children and young people engaged in protective intervention;
The development and teaching of core competencies for child welfare professionals.
I am a former accredited foster carer in the State of Victoria.