Plumbing Connection 2-2015

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PLUMBING CONNECTION WINTER 2015 61
registered building inspectors and
surveyors in particular.
BEYOND THE BASICS
Being a valuable expert for the
purpose of providing expert testimony
does involve more than just a depth
of knowledge and experience. To be
considered for expert testimonial
work, you’ll also need to be the kind of
person that’s up to that particular task
as well.
“It’s a very particular thing to have
not only someone who’s got the
expertise, but who has a range of other
written skills, oral skills and analytical
skills,” Bruce says.
“[They need] to be able to take
their knowledge about what they
do as a builder, and then to look at
what’s happened in a particular set of
circumstances and apply a forensic
approach, and also to do it in a way
that would be acceptable to a court.
That’s where we help people.
“A confident demeanour also helps,”
Bruce explains.
“The reality is that most cases
settle. People get expert opinions, they
look at them, they discuss them - but
every so often someone may have to
go to court, so they need to be able to
articulate their opinion. Someone who
gets tongue-tied easily isn’t going to
be a good expert witness.”
HOWMUCH CAN I MAKE?
For most subject matter experts,
this kind of expert testimonial work is
commissioned on an ad-hoc basis, and
is something they’ll do from time to
time - but there are some people who
make the bulk of their income working
as professional ‘experts’.
As you’d expect, experts are paid
very well for the advice they provide
in legal and insurance matters. How
much you’ll make from expert witness
work over the long term depends on
several things though, including:
∫ how much of a demand there is for
your specific blend of qualifications
and experience
∫ how well-developed your written,
oral and analytical skills are, and
∫ how effectively you’ve demonstrated
your aptitude as an expert witness.
AM I ‘EXPERT’ ENOUGH?
What makes someone an expert –
for the purposes of legal or insurance
work, at least – is an adequate blend
of three particular attributes: training,
study and experience. For most people
in fields related to building, it’s also
expected that you’ll be registered or
licensed in your field of expertise too.
As you’d imagine, experience is non-
negotiable.
“Usually the courts will prefer
someone who’s had a fair bit of time in
the field. If you’ve only started practicing
last year it’s going to be very difficult
to show the court that they should give
your opinion a lot of weight,” says Bruce.
In terms of required experience,
you’ll probably need at least ten years
in your field by which stage “you should
be pretty confident you know what
you’re talking about. Obviously a lot of
the people who do it are people who’ve
practiced for longer than that.
“We do get a lot of people who may
have had an entire career and are
winding down – [people who are] quite
happy to provide the benefit of their
experience to a court, and to insurers
and others.”
HOW CAN I GET LISTED?
The first step is normally to send an
email to Expert Experts – or to give
them a call to discuss your prospects.
As you’d expect, there is a strict
vetting process for prospective
experts. Potential candidates are
typically required to submit evidence
of technical qualifications, samples of
written work and some professional
references – and will likely be
interviewed if things progress from
there.
Contact
To register your interest or to find out
more, visit
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