Jeff Balcombe, CPA speaking at the SEAK National Expert Witness Conference gave attendees the following practical tips on expert witness report writing:
- Stay within your area of expertise
- Proactively address all key facts, including ones that are contrary to or mitigate your conclusions
- Don’t be like Sgt. Schultz of Hogan’s Heroes: “I hear nothing, I see nothing, I know nothing!”
- Simplify your writing
- Keep your opinions organized and digestible using topic headings and “bite-sized” paragraphs
- Beware of using of legal or other terms of art
- Grammar
- Use first person
- Avoid passive tense
- Confident does not mean arrogant. Be professional and objective
- Avoid exaggerated terms (e.g., grossly, seriously, unconscionable, fallacious, specious, etc.)
- Don’t be flashy like Apollo Creed in Rocky IV
- Resist the URGE
For additional expert witness report writing tips, see the new text How to Write an Expert Witness Report