header-logo header-logo

29 July 2022 / George Sim
Issue: 7989 / Categories: Features , Profession , Expert Witness
printer mail-detail

Expert witness: single or joint?

George Sim discusses the pros & cons of single joint accountancy experts
  • Puts forward arguments for and against single joint experts.
  • Sets out a comparison with experts appointed on behalf of each of the parties.
  • Identifies procedural issues.

The use of Single Joint Experts (SJEs) is encouraged under the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR) with the court considering inter alia whether instructing SJEs is likely to help it to resolve issues more speedily and in a more cost-effective way than with separately instructed experts. This article explores general considerations which lawyers should take into account when instructing SJEs with particular regard to the involvement of forensic accountants and compares the practical implications of using SJEs with those of using experts instructed separately by each of the parties.

Agreed methodology or differing assumptions?

The extent to which expert accountancy opinion can be agreed between the parties will vary according to the type of case. Our experience of pension loss cases, for example, is that they generally involve calculations of the claimant’s post-tax

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Withers—Sophie Barrett-Brown

Withers—Sophie Barrett-Brown

Withers drives further growth in its UK immigration team with new partner Sophie Barrett-Brown

Venus Legal—Esther Amoako

Venus Legal—Esther Amoako

Venus Legal invests in next generation of legal talent as specialist litigation practice grows

Fisher Phillips—Catrina Smith

Fisher Phillips—Catrina Smith

Fisher Phillips continues momentum in London with arrival of Catrina Smith

NEWS
Restrictions on workplace non-disclosure agreements could make settlements slower, more complex and more expensive when reforms expected in 2027 take effect
Private prosecutors face closer scrutiny under Crown Prosecution Service guidance designed to strengthen accountability and consistency when intervention is requested
Foreign states cannot necessarily claim immunity for cyber operations launched abroad against computers in Britain, following a divided Supreme Court ruling
Defendants who make unsupported complaints about their lawyers risk losing legal aid while confiscation proceedings continue without representation
Lawyers advising Russian clients face different sanctions restrictions across the UK, EU and US, despite their shared objective of increasing pressure on Russia
back-to-top-scroll