Tribal Affiliation
Enrolled member, Quechan Indian Tribe
Native-Led ICWA QEW Practice
About ICWAExpert.com
ICWAExpert.com connects federal Qualified Expert Witness standards with culturally grounded analysis, tribal sovereignty, and practical support for the people carrying ICWA cases through court.
Mission
Protecting sovereignty, families, and the ICWA record.
Our work is built around the federal QEW standard in 25 C.F.R. § 23.122 and the lived reality that ICWA cases require more than generic child welfare expertise.
ICWAExpert.com supports tribes, families, attorneys, and child welfare agencies with culturally competent Qualified Expert Witness testimony, active efforts review, and ICWA consulting. The practice centers tribal sovereignty and family preservation while helping courts receive the specific, culturally informed testimony ICWA requires.
That means looking beyond procedural compliance. We help legal teams and agencies understand whether the record reflects meaningful active efforts, tribal participation, placement preference analysis, and testimony tied to the child's Tribe and community.
Founder
Led by Cody Hartt.
Cody Hartt brings tribal governance, public service, legal services leadership, and ICWA QEW practice into one focused resource for high-stakes child welfare cases.
Cody Hartt is an enrolled member of the Quechan Indian Tribe and the Founder and Executive Director of Indian Country Legal Services, Inc. He serves as a third-term Quechan Legislative Committee member and as a school board president in Imperial County, California.
As an ICWA Qualified Expert Witness practitioner, Cody works at the intersection of tribal sovereignty, child welfare, family preservation, and courtroom-ready ICWA analysis.
Enrolled Quechan Indian Tribe member
Founder and Executive Director of Indian Country Legal Services, Inc.
Third-term Quechan Legislative Committee member
Imperial County school board president
ICWA Qualified Expert Witness practitioner
Credentials
A Native-led practice built for ICWA proceedings.
Key qualifications and trust signals that matter before a QEW engagement begins.
Federal QEW Qualification
25 C.F.R. § 23.122 standard
Cases Supported
100+
Tribes Served
50+
Years of Experience
20+
Geographic Reach
All 50 states
Tribal Government Service
Quechan Legislative Committee, third term
Community Service
School Board President, Imperial County, California
Parent Organization
Founder & Executive Director, Indian Country Legal Services, Inc.
What Sets Us Apart
Native-led, culturally grounded, and built for court.
Native-led leadership and case analysis
ICWAExpert.com keeps the legal standard connected to tribal knowledge, cultural context, and the practical needs of dependency and TPR proceedings.
Federally qualified under 25 C.F.R. § 23.122
ICWAExpert.com keeps the legal standard connected to tribal knowledge, cultural context, and the practical needs of dependency and TPR proceedings.
Culturally grounded active efforts review
ICWAExpert.com keeps the legal standard connected to tribal knowledge, cultural context, and the practical needs of dependency and TPR proceedings.
Tribal sovereignty and family preservation focus
ICWAExpert.com keeps the legal standard connected to tribal knowledge, cultural context, and the practical needs of dependency and TPR proceedings.
ICWA support available across all 50 states
ICWAExpert.com keeps the legal standard connected to tribal knowledge, cultural context, and the practical needs of dependency and TPR proceedings.
Practice Scope
Support for ICWA proceedings across the United States.
We serve ICWA matters in all 50 states, including urgent court deadlines and longer-term compliance planning.
- Foster care placement hearings
- Termination of parental rights proceedings
- Dependency and child welfare cases
- Delinquency crossover matters involving ICWA questions
- Related ICWA consultation, record review, and hearing preparation
Pre-Engagement Questions
Common questions before requesting a QEW.
Draft answers for review before broad promotion; final engagement terms still depend on conflict review, scope, and court timeline.
What makes a QEW different from a regular expert witness?
A Qualified Expert Witness in an ICWA case must be able to support testimony under the federal ICWA standard, including whether continued custody is likely to result in serious emotional or physical damage to the child. The work requires culturally informed analysis tied to the child, Tribe, family context, and active efforts record, not only general child welfare expertise.
How quickly can ICWAExpert.com respond if my hearing is next week?
Most intake requests receive an initial response within one business day. Urgent hearing timelines are reviewed for conflicts, availability, case posture, and whether enough records are available for meaningful QEW analysis.
Do you take cases anywhere in the United States?
Yes. ICWAExpert.com supports ICWA matters in all 50 states, including state dependency, foster care placement, termination of parental rights, and related proceedings involving Indian children under ICWA.
How does the fee structure work for a typical case?
Fee structure depends on the scope of work, hearing timeline, record volume, travel or remote testimony needs, and whether the engagement involves testimony, written analysis, consultation, or training. Conflict review happens first, and fee details are provided before engagement.
Are you available for testimony or only consultation?
ICWAExpert.com supports both Qualified Expert Witness testimony and pre-hearing consultation, including active efforts review, QEW preparation, case file analysis, and ICWA compliance planning.
Do you take pro bono cases?
Limited reduced-fee or pro bono support may be considered depending on capacity, urgency, conflict status, and the needs of the Tribe, family, or proceeding. Submit an intake request so the matter can be reviewed.
Parent Organization
Connected to Indian Country Legal Services, Inc.
ICWAExpert.com is connected to Indian Country Legal Services, Inc., a Native-led organization focused on legal services, advocacy, and practical support for Indian Country.
Learn more at indiancountrylegal.com.
Need a culturally grounded ICWA Qualified Expert Witness?
Submit your case details and we will begin with a conflict check, timeline review, and the right next step for your proceeding.
Hearing date approaching
Start conflict review now.
Best when you need QEW availability, testimony, or report support tied to a court deadline.
Not sure what you need yet
Ask a direct question.
Use this path for fit, scope, records, funding, or timing questions before submitting case details.
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