White Oak Counseling & Recovery provides legal services related to counseling records, therapist letters, court-related documentation, subpoenas, testimony, depositions, and records requests. These requests must be handled carefully because counseling records include private health information.

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Our goal is to protect client confidentiality, follow legal and ethical requirements, and provide clear expectations before any legal service is completed.

If you are looking for counseling connected to a court requirement, please visit our Court-Related Counseling page. This Legal Services page explains how White Oak handles records, letters, court requests, subpoenas, testimony, and related fees.

These legal services help clients, attorneys, and referring agencies understand how counseling records, therapist letters, subpoenas, and court-related requests are handled by our office.

Counseling Records and Confidentiality

Counseling records are protected health information. White Oak Counseling & Recovery cannot release records, write letters, speak with attorneys, or provide court-related information without the proper written authorization, court order, subpoena, or legal requirement.

Even when a release is signed, our counselors may not be able to provide every type of requested statement. Counseling is not the same as a forensic evaluation. A therapist’s role is usually to provide care, support, assessment, treatment planning, and clinical documentation. This is different from making legal decisions, custody recommendations, or investigative findings.

When legal involvement becomes part of counseling, we will review the request carefully and explain what can and cannot be provided.

Related White Oak pages include Court-Related Counseling, Anger Counseling, and Individual Counseling.

Letters, Progress Summaries, and Documentation

Clients, attorneys, probation officers, courts, employers, schools, or other parties may request letters or written summaries. These requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

White Oak may be able to provide documentation such as:

  • confirmation of attendance
  • dates of service
  • general participation information
  • basic treatment progress summaries when clinically appropriate
  • assessment completion confirmation
  • documentation required by a referring agency, when permitted

White Oak generally does not provide letters that guarantee outcomes, make custody recommendations, determine whether someone is safe or unsafe, or make legal conclusions outside the counselor’s clinical role.

Letter Writing Fee Policy

Legal services for counseling records request meeting at White Oak Counseling and Recovery

If you require a letter to be written by a therapist, the fee is $120 per hour, billed in 15-minute increments. A $120 advance payment is required before the letter is completed.

If the therapist completes the letter in less time, a refund will be provided based on the actual time required.

If you need counseling documentation related to anger, domestic violence concerns, probation, or court requirements, our Anger Counseling page may also be helpful.

Subpoenas and Court Orders

If White Oak Counseling & Recovery receives a subpoena or court order, we will review it carefully before responding. A subpoena does not always mean that records can be released immediately. In some situations, additional legal review, client notification, authorization, or court clarification may be needed.

Because counseling records are private, we do not ignore legal requests, but we also do not release protected information casually. The response depends on the type of request, the law, the client’s authorization, and the counselor’s ethical responsibilities.

Clients and attorneys should submit legal requests as early as possible. Last-minute requests may not be completed before a court date or deadline.

Court testimony and legal appearances take time away from scheduled counseling appointments and clinical work. If a therapist is required or requested to appear in court, attend a deposition, consult with an attorney, prepare legal documentation, submit records, or be available for testimony, legal service fees apply.

These fees may apply whether the therapist is called to testify, placed on standby, asked to prepare for testimony, required to review records, or asked to consult with an attorney before a legal appearance.

White Oak Counseling & Recovery does not guarantee that a therapist’s testimony will support a specific legal outcome. Clinical records and testimony must reflect the therapist’s professional opinion, documentation, and ethical responsibilities.

Legal services are separate from regular counseling appointments. Insurance does not pay for legal work, court preparation, attorney consultation, records preparation, testimony, depositions, filing court documents, or time spent responding to legal matters. These services are self-pay and must be paid directly to White Oak Counseling & Recovery.

Court Action or Legal Service

Fee

Billing Details
Preparation time, including submission of records $170 per hour Billed in 15-minute increments.
Phone calls related to legal action $170 per hour Billed in 15-minute increments.
Depositions $170 per hour Applies to time required for deposition-related involvement.
Time required for giving testimony $170 per hour Applies to testimony time.
Time away from the office due to depositions or testimony $170 per hour Applies when the therapist is away from regular office duties because of the legal action.
Filing documents with the court $100 Applies when documents must be filed with the court.
Attorney fees and costs incurred by the therapist Actual cost All attorney fees and costs incurred by the therapist as a result of the legal action are the client’s responsibility.

Important fee notes:

All costs will be invoiced following the court appearance.

If a therapist is subpoenaed and the case is reset with less than 72 hours’ notice before the scheduled subpoena, trial, and/or testimony is not provided, the client will be charged an additional $300. This fee is in addition to the original cost for having to appear in court.

All fees listed above will double if the therapist was previously scheduled to be out of town at the time of the court appearance.

For the U.S. Court of Federal Claims Fee Schedule, click here.

Records Requests

Clients may request access to their counseling records. In some situations, records may also be requested by attorneys, courts, agencies, or other authorized parties. Records requests must be submitted in writing and must include the proper authorization when required.

White Oak may need time to review, prepare, and process records. Some records may include sensitive clinical information, family information, third-party information, or information that requires careful review before release.

If you are a new client and are not sure what paperwork is needed before counseling begins, please visit our New Client Counseling Intake Process page.

What White Oak Can and Cannot Provide

Court action and therapist letter fee consultation materials in a private counseling office

White Oak Counseling & Recovery can provide counseling, assessment, clinical documentation, and treatment-related information when appropriate. We cannot promise specific court results or provide legal advice.

White Oak does not act as an attorney, court investigator, custody evaluator, or legal decision-maker. If you need legal guidance, you should speak with an attorney.

Our therapists may be able to provide clinical information based on counseling records, attendance, assessment results, and treatment progress. Any documentation must be accurate, ethical, and within the therapist’s professional role.

To submit a legal request, contact White Oak Counseling & Recovery as early as possible. Please include the type of request, the deadline, who is requesting the information, and whether a signed release, subpoena, or court order is involved.

Our office will review the request and let you know what may be needed before we can respond.

For questions about legal service requests, records, subpoenas, testimony, or documentation, call White Oak Counseling & Recovery at 269-205-2402.

Legal involvement can be stressful, especially when it connects with family conflict, anger, trauma, grief, anxiety, depression, or major life changes. White Oak Counseling & Recovery offers several counseling services that may be helpful depending on your situation:

No. Insurance does not pay for legal work, court preparation, attorney consultation, records preparation, testimony, depositions, filing court documents, or time spent responding to legal matters. These services are self-pay and must be paid directly to White Oak Counseling & Recovery.

Possibly. Letter requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. A therapist may be able to provide confirmation of attendance, dates of service, general participation information, or a basic treatment progress summary when clinically appropriate. White Oak does not provide letters that guarantee legal outcomes, make custody recommendations, or make legal conclusions outside the therapist’s role.

The letter writing fee is $120 per hour, billed in 15-minute increments. A $120 advance payment is required before the letter is completed. If the therapist completes the letter in less time, a refund will be provided based on the actual time required.

Counseling records are protected health information. White Oak cannot release records to an attorney, court, agency, or another party without proper written authorization, a court order, subpoena, or other legal requirement. Even with a release, records may need to be reviewed before they are provided.

White Oak will review the subpoena carefully before responding. A subpoena does not always mean records can be released immediately. Depending on the situation, additional legal review, client notification, authorization, or court clarification may be needed. If a therapist is required to prepare, appear, testify, or spend time away from the office, legal service fees apply.

No. White Oak does not act as a custody evaluator, court investigator, attorney, or legal decision-maker. A therapist may provide clinical information based on counseling records, attendance, assessment results, and treatment progress when appropriate, but does not make custody decisions or legal recommendations.

Legal requests should be submitted as early as possible. Last-minute requests may not be completed before a court date or deadline. If a therapist is subpoenaed and the case is reset with less than 72 hours’ notice before the scheduled subpoena, trial, and/or testimony is not provided, the client will be charged an additional $300 in addition to the original cost for having to appear in court.

Yes. All listed court action fees double if the therapist was previously scheduled to be out of town at the time of the court appearance.