In an article by attorney Robert Ambrogi, featured at IMS ExpertServices, he asks, “Litigation is recession proof-but are experts?”  As any good attorney would, he states that the answer depends on whom you ask.  Ambrogi says that attorneys generally say that the economy has no real bearing on whether they hire an expert or not.  However, they may be watching the costs associated with experts more closely.

The Litigation Trends Survey (Published in October by Fulbright & Jaworski) finds confirmation that litigation is indeed recession proof.  The most recent survey indicated that 42 percent of American companies actually anticipate an increase in the number of legal disputes they will face during the coming year.  This is up from 34 percent for 2008.  More than one-third of these companies sited the economy as the number one reason for the surge in litigation.

When it comes to retaining experts, the attorneys are constrained by the need to meet the burden of proof and to advocate for their clients.  If a case requires expert testimony, an attorney should never skimp or else it could result in disservice to the client and could result in malpractice, according to attorney, Scott I. Fegley.  The economy does not change the burden of proof.

In my work as an expert in the field of Life Care Planning, I have found that the down economy has not decreased my work load at all.  In fact, it is quite the opposite at the present.  I have noticed a few requests for estimates on the time required to write a care plan, but the requests for services have not diminished.

How is the economy affecting your consulting business?  If you are seeing less work, please share your location as well.

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