Hiring An Expert Witness: What To Expect

Understanding The Steps Toward A Fruitful Collaboration

When hiring an expert witness, it is important to enter into the engagement with the right expectations. At Spencer Law Firm LLC, we offer the expert witness services of attorney Patti S. Spencer in trust and estate matters. If you contact us to discuss retaining Ms. Spencer to offer expert testimony, you can anticipate that we will ask you to take the following steps:

  1. Disclose your client: Before you offer any additional information, we will ask you to disclose the identity of your client in order to ensure that we do not have a conflict.
  2. Provide basic facts: Initially, we will ask you to provide only the basic facts of the pending matter so Ms. Spencer can determine whether she will be able to testify on your side. At this stage, we will not request any confidential or otherwise protected information.
  3. Engage our services: If Ms. Spencer determines that she will be able to review the case with a view to testifying on your client’s behalf, we will require a signed engagement letter and payment of our retainer before she can provide any expert advice or testimony.
  4. Adopt document protection practices: Under Pennsylvania law, research files and document drafts produced by expert witnesses or consultants may be discoverable. Once you have retained us, we will work with you to adopt sound document protection practices.
  5. Work collaboratively: Ms. Spencer is committed to developing credible testimony backed by her reputation as an experienced trust and estate lawyer. We will ask you to work with us to achieve this, respecting the role of an expert witness in the litigation process.

Based in Lancaster, Ms. Spencer provides expert witness services in matters requiring expert knowledge of the laws and professional standards applying in Pennsylvania. With regard to federal tax matters, she can testify nationally. To discuss how we can assist you, please contact our office at 717-394-1131 or by email.