Caution to Baby Boomers: Rethink 2nd Career as Expert Witness Surge of Interest in Expert Witnessing Prompts Company to Urge Boomers to Do Their Research

After putting in the time and gaining the experience, what could be better than cashing in with a high hourly rate for consulting or testifying as an expert for the legal system? This is currently the thinking of many baby boomers, according to the increasing number of inquiries received by Expert Communications, an expert witness marketing and training company. But founder Rosalie Hamilton urges baby boomers to do their research first.

Clearwater, FL (PRWEB) June 15, 2007 -- As the first Baby Boomers turn 60 this year, many are looking ahead to what's next, and being an expert witness, especially as seen on TV, can seem mighty attractive - charge a high hourly rate, set your own hours, become famous, right?

"Not so fast," cautions Rosalie Hamilton of Expert Communications, a business development firm for expert witnesses. While a career as an expert witness can be mentally, monetarily, and emotionally rewarding, it is not necessarily a slam dunk for an expert in some field to become an expert witness, or expert consultant, as Hamilton says is a more accurate description.

According to Black's Law Dictionary, an expert witness is a person who through education or experience has developed skill or knowledge in a particular subject, so that he or she may form an opinion that will assist the fact-finder. To illustrate the qualification of experience, a mechanic might qualify as an expert in brake replacement if he has been performing that task for thirty years on numerous cars.

Fortunately, most of the work of an expert consultant is prior to or exclusive of courtroom testimony. Experts are used to investigate, evaluate, educate, or render an opinion, in written and/or oral format -- activities that assist attorneys, insurers, judges, and juries to determine the facts in a claim, lawsuit, or other dispute. And some expert consultants confine themselves to activities other than testimony, such as reviewing potential medical malpractice cases to determine whether the case should be litigated.

Even then, expert consulting work is not for everyone. Litigation is a high-stress production, with plenty of emotion to go around for all of the players. Individuals who have been downsized or retired or who just want to spread their wings into the legal arena should consider their qualifications of confidence and poise as much as their professional credentials. Working in the background of a case, being aware of the impact on the litigants can be taxing enough. Getting grilled in deposition, and then cross-examined in court before a judge and jury, can redefine stress!

So to all Baby Boomers out there looking at the financial potential of being an expert consultant to the legal industry, Hamilton has this final bit of advice, "Do your research, learn what it's really like (in real life, not television), and then decide if it's right for you."

About Expert Communications:
Rosalie Hamilton is the Expert's Expert (TM), founder of Expert Communications, and author of The Expert Witness Marketing Book. www.expertcommunications.com Expert Communications helps expert consultants get more clients and expand their practices with customized marketing strategies.

Contact:
Meredith Hamilton, Expert Communications
727-467-0700
http://www.expertcommunications.com
http://expertcommunications.blogspot.com

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