FTS provides specialist Drug, Alcohol & DNA toxicology services and expert interpretation for Family Law and Child Care Proceedings.

We offer comprehensive forensic toxicology services, laboratory analysis and expert opinion evidence tailored for family court cases. Our forensic lab is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and Lab 51 (toxicology lab) standards. We are also certified by the Society of Hair Testing and the Society of Toxicological Forensic Chemistry.

Turnaround Times

  • Sample collection: Within 24-48 hours, collections are nationwide
  • Analysis & expert reports: Approx. 7 working days
  • Expedited: Faster turnaround available upon request

Why choose FTS to support your case?

We support legal teams and social workers, helping the judiciary to make informed decisions about the welfare of a child. FTS has an industry-leading approach:

  • Expert opinion & interpretation: Report all findings such as environmental contamination and hair treatments, not just lab test results. This ensures more accurate interpretation than results using cut-off levels, which can cause misleading and biased results. We are also able to provide reporting of additional compounds with our free notification service.
  • Detailed client questionnaires: Questionnaires are completed ahead or at appointments before sample collection this is used alongside the testing to ensure a fully comprehensive investigation is completed for a full context of a case.
  • Flexible & discreet collection: Nationwide Forensic Investigation Officers, who are qualified phlebotomists trained in collecting blood, hair, nail, and urine samples. They travel in discreet mobile collection clinic vans that are flexible to visit any location (home address, Solicitor / Local Authority locations), to provide a safe, clean and contained environment supporting full chain of custody.
  • Comply with High Court Guidance & Court of Appeal guidance (Re D and Re H): Results interpreted with the full context of the case and all associated influencing factors, rather than relying on cut-off levels.
  • Support Public Law Outline (PLO) process: Local Authorities can navigate the PLO process more efficiently, protect safeguarding concerns and avoid misleading results. This ensures authorities remain as efficient and cost-effective as possible.
  • Extensive capacity for novel psychoactive drugs: Routinely analyse up to 42* compounds, exceeding the ‘standard’ drugs panel, and further tests for over 2,000 illicit and prescribed substances. Free notification of additional compounds found (upon request). * not all 42 from the DOA panel are UKAS accredited
  • LAA Funding: We have a price LAA indemnity, upon receipt of a court order ahead of testing.
  • Free training & resources: We offer free training to legal and social teams on expert-led bespoke or webinar sessions to learn about the latest trends, techniques, and insights in forensic testing.

Our resources help you to understand why cut-off levels are so problematic and how to instruct and challenge disputed hair strand test results.

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Choose FTS for expert hair analysis services that prioritise justice and deliver results you can rely on.