What is an expert witness
The primary role of an expert witness is to express expert opinions in connection with legal disputes. Many expert witnesses have skills readily transferable to a number of other roles such as speakers at international conventions and conferences of other professionals in the same or related fields, advisory roles to documentary film-makers, interviews on TV and Radio news programs, Panel members in TV discussion programs, reviews of the work of professionals in the same expertise, advisory roles in governmental working parties.
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Who can employ the services of an expert witness
Their primary client base is the legal profession. Some experts are willing to undertake other commissions. Private individuals would not normally turn to an expert witness except through the services of a Solicitor. Medical expert witnesses, for example, do not promote their expertise here in order to invite a dialogue with an individual over their personal or family medical conditions. An expert may be willing to work for an individual but you should be prepared for them to decline the commission. An expert may wish to review the case notes prior to a decision to become involved and may charge a professional fee for the time taken to make this determination. The expert’s charges are likely to be substantial and the expert may wish to make enquiries to confirm that the client has the resources to meet the costs.
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What will the services of an expert witness cost
These are highly skilled, articulate and experienced individuals, often at the top of their profession. Their fees vary and will be related to their field of expertise, qualifications, experience (both in their chosen expertise and experience in the Courts of Law), they are often very busy and will ration their services by price. It is reasonable to expect charges comparable with those of the legal profession. Some may charge professional fees as low as £60 per hour, others can be very substantially more. Expenses will be added to the hourly rates if applicable. Some experts will adjust their fees on a case by case basis. Fees are not negotiable. Some experts will, however, pitch their fees lower if they believe a particular case merits their attention but the circumstances are such that their normal rate would jeopardise the likelihood of their involvement.
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How do I select the best expert witness for my needs
First you must be clear what your needs are. Use the individual entries in this directory to identify which expert(s) may be able to address your requirements. Many experts are very selective about the commissions they will undertake, be prepared for some rejections. A rejection should not be regarded as a reflection of any perceived inadequacies on the client’s part, the expert may merely be stating that they do not believe they are the best candidate for the task or that the likely court hearing date would be inconvenient to them. Their decision is unlikely to be negotiable. Extensive court experience is a valuable asset, you should expect an experienced witness to require higher fees. A solicitor making first use of an individual expert would expect to exercise due diligence in respect of confirming his suitability. This might include enquiries of their academic qualifications, professional bodies, references from previous experience as a witness. Some experts may have had their credentials verified by an organisation such as like The Acadamy of Experts or The Law Society and so a confirmation from those bodies may be adequate substitute for confirmation with each professional or academic institution.
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Can I become an expert witness
Possibly, but there are some demanding criteria to meet:
- You should be near the top of your profession.
- You must be able to analyse detailed and lengthy written submissions and write clear and precise analyses of the position which should be intelligible to a lay-person.
- You should be able to authenticate your expertise with verifiable experience and recognised professional qualifications.
- You must be able to present your findings in a Court of Law and be able to respond well to searching cross-questioning in court. You will need to be articulate, confident, authoritative and dignified.
- It is likely that you will have had papers printed in professional journals.
- You should be able to provide references which help authenticate your skills in relation to all the issues itemised above.
- You should be aware that your credentials could be subject to detailed scrutiny in court and must make every effort to ensure that they are beyond dispute.
- It would be helpful were you to join an organisation like The Acadamy of Experts or The Law Society and your initial lack of court experience can be ameliorated by training directed at preparing you for that demanding environment.
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Are the Experts credentials published on this website verified
We do not verify the information the experts provide. Our terms and conditions require that the expert’s claims are true and accurate and we reserve the right to exclude from the directory any expert who is found to have provided incorrect or misleading information. It is your responsibility to satisfy yourself as to the suitability of an expert to your requirements. The legal practises for whom the directory is intended will wish to take up references and exercise due diligence before employing an individual expert for the first time.
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Can we give recommendations or help selecting an expert
No, the directory is here to provide you with the information you need to identify some possible candidates.
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Can we provide a printed copy of the directory
No. There are similar directories available in print but the benefit of the Internet is that the information can be right up to date. We aim to make additions and changes to this directory on the day of receipt of the update request. All but the smallest legal practices have internet access, we see no benefit in offering a printed directory.
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Other questions
Please contact us by Email at info@the-expert-witness.co.uk |
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