• Is this person engaging or is their “bedside manner” so obnoxious that I would never want to spend a minute more with them than necessary? • What are their billing practices with me like? • Are they disorganized and are their invoices full of billing errors? If so, they are probably not somebody whose integrity I can trust. • When we first meet, either over the phone or video, do they maintain their integrity? • Do they simply say what they think I want them to say? • Or will they aggressively push back and tell me when I have something wrong? You must have somebody willing to do the latter. You never want someone who will simply mimic your opinion. How to Maintain Good Experts Evaluating an expert is more art than science. There will be mistakes along the way. But once you find experts you trust, treat them well. Pay their bills. You cannot risk an expert that is grumpy and not getting paid. Provide them with what they ask, when they ask it. Defer to their knowledge, but be prepared to direct the presentation. In other words, if they are using demonstratives or slide shows, make sure they make sense See Retaining and Using Experts p. 18 17 Trial Lawyer | Winter 2025
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