Since courts can see so many different types of cases, it is sometimes necessary to bring in a witness whose testimony can help explain concepts relevant to the case. This helps the judge and jury make informed decisions.
These witnesses can be procured on behalf of the defendants or the plaintiffs. These professionals can be located and hired through expert witness services. Here are five types of expert witnesses.
Forensic
Forensic experts can be helpful in a wide variety of cases. They can help make sense of the results of many scientific tests, such as DNA evidence, the origin of a fire, blood alcohol content and drug tests.
Mental Health
The mental state of a person involved in a case can be a very important factor in the final ruling. Mental health experts can help determine how an altered mental state impacted events. They can help determine if a person can plead insanity in a criminal case, if someone was of a sound mental state when signing legal documents and more.
Financial
Financial experts can be useful in divorce, probate and other types of courts. They can help determine the value of items, the value of lost wages, help make sure assets are divided evenly and more.
Vocational
In many types of cases, such as personal injury cases, it can be necessary to determine a person’s ability to work or how long it will take them to be able to work. Vocational experts can help determine if a person is physically able to return to work after an injury or how long it will take a person to learn a skill required for a job. This can help the court determine factors such as alimony in divorce cases.
Parenting
Parenting experts get to know children and their parents to help courts determine the best situation for the child in custody cases, adoption cases, and more. They can help evaluate the emotional state of the child and what scenarios, such as various custody agreements, they would be able to tolerate. They can also offer an opinion regarding if a parent or guardian is fit to raise a child.
There are endless types of expert witnesses to fill the needs of virtually any case. Hiring these professionals can ensure that an informed and unbiased opinion is heard by the judge and jury, giving them all of the information they need to make a decision.