Expert Witness Duties and Job Description

Acting as a witness in court or looking for potential witnesses to represent you? Whether you are a witness or an expert witness, your testimony may be important to the trial process.

Many different people may act as witnesses in a case. Some options include a treating physician, expert psychiatrist, friends, and family. In the case of elder neglect and abuse, family members and friends might also act as witnesses. They may explain the deterioration of their loved one over the course of time in the nursing home. In some cases, such as malpractice, an expert witness is required. They must provide their professional opinion on the issue.

Expert Witnesses

When it comes to expert witnesses, the key is to find the right one to represent you. One with an impressive academic resume might not have a lot of field experience. But, one with a lot of field experience may not have the right background that suits your needs. The key is to find a happy medium between those two statements. You must find an expert witness that has experience in the field you are looking for a testimony in. Also find someone with the credentials that make them qualified to provide expert opinion.

Another thing to keep in mind is if they have ever been an expert witness in court before. A question the opposing attorney will be sure to ask them is if they have ever testified in court before. A more qualified expert witness will have acted as a witness before. Their opinion might be taken more seriously. There are databases that you may access online to aid you in finding an expert witness in your area. You may also meet with potential expert witnesses to assess them. You can see if they are right to represent you and your case.

The attorney representing you may guide your witnesses on what facts to address in court. They will tell the witness to include facts to support your claim. Although witnesses may not have any type of script, they can be well prepared for what they will face in court. In most cases, you can’t use notes in court, but evidence can get presented.

Lawyer’s Role

Lawyers may aid any witnesses with many things, which include:

• How to dress and act when coming to court. Women and men should wear business attire and act appropriately.
• Reviewing any statements the witness plans on making.
• Discussing probable questions and answers he or she may be asked in court.
• Tell the witness to arrive to court on time.
• How to address the opposing party and the judge or jury.

It’s acceptable to say that a witness had help from an attorney. An attorney can go over possible questions and answers before court. If you are a witness, remember to dress properly. Also act in a respectable manner and arrive on time to any court appearance. Witnesses can make or break the verdict of any case in court. So, make sure when relying on the testimony of a witness, the end result will most likely help you claim.