Divorces can quickly become complicated if they involve high-value assets, businesses, or children. These complications can take months to resolve without professional help. That’s why many couples choose to involve expert witnesses in their splits.
The testimony of these experts can significantly alter the outcome of a divorce. Keep reading to learn how these witnesses work and when you should consider them in your split.
What Is an Expert Witness
An expert witness is a professional with significant experience in a field relevant to a legal case. These experts are brought in to testify about their fields and to give their professional opinion about the details of the case. They are used in all legal proceedings but are particularly useful in civil cases like divorces.
Divorcing couples often have disputes about essential details of their split, such as child custody and asset valuation. When these disputes happen, they may choose to go to trial to resolve them. When that happens, either party can elect to hire an expert witness to testify about the matter at hand.
For example, if a couple jointly owned a company, they may choose to bring in a professional business appraiser as a witness. The appraiser would appraise the business, then present their opinion in court. Their testimony may be used by the judge to determine the value of the company so it can be fairly divided between the spouses.
Reasons to Work with an Expert Witness During Your Divorce
So, when is a good time to hire an expert witness? They’re a helpful solution whenever you want to increase the integrity of your argument in court. You might choose to hire one in circumstances like:
- Child custody: If you’re fighting for sole custody of your children, you can bring in a social worker as a resource to explain why it’s in their best interest not to live with their other parent.
- Asset valuation: Experts can help assign values to companies, pensions, collections, and other complicated assets.
- Mental health: If you’re worried about your safety, you can bring in experts to testify about your spouse’s mental health to fight for a restraining order.
- Competing experts: If your ex has hired an expert, but you disagree with their opinions, you can hire your own and have them dispute the other’s conclusions in court.
It’s important to note that a judge is not required to consider an expert’s testimony. Especially if multiple conflicting experts are involved in a case, judges are permitted to use their discretion to determine which expert to listen to.
Work with Divorce Experts
Having expert witnesses on your side during your divorce can make all the difference in the results of your split. It’s just as essential to work with experienced attorneys. Highly qualified lawyers like the team at Viola Law, P.C. will help you determine when outside help is necessary for your split and how to best use their testimony. Schedule your consultation today to explore how we can use our knowledge and resources to resolve your split efficiently and effectively.
