Make sure you pay your expert!

Law Society Gazette reports on a case where an Expert Witness refused to act after accusing solicitors of not paying him and naming him on cases without his knowledge.

The allegations came to light in a pre-trial review where the judge read out correspondence from the Expert Witness who accused the law firm of naming him on cases and then issuing instructions after the event and for not paying long overdue invoices.

The claimant had applied for a six-month extension to liaise with the expert. But this was disallowed.

The non-payment of Expert Witnesses continues to be an issue that our members face and where they have had continuing issues, we do recommend that they consider approaching the Judge for direction.

This highlights both the importance for legal teams in ensuring their Expert Witnesses are paid and for experts in knowing that they can seek advice from our member helpline and seek advice from the judge.

Read the article here