The perception that expert witnesses rake in vast hourly sums for their services is a myth, with a third charging less than 100 an hour, new research has suggested.

The survey of more than 500 experts by publishers Sweet & Maxwell also showed that just more than half charged between 100 and 199, with only 15% saying they brought in more than 200 an hour.

None asked for more than 500 an hour for their services.

Medical experts - who take on the bulk of witness work and accounted for 42% of the respondents - are paid the most, with almost one third earning more than 200 an hour and 4% more than 300.

The worst paid are experts dealing in consumer issues, engineering production and forensics; some three-quarters working in those areas charge less than 99 an hour.

As well as medical work, other key areas for experts were building, which accounted for 13% of the respondents; personal injury (11%); and family (9%).

Self-employed experts charge more than those working within companies or organisations, while experts with a focus on producing reports also bill more.

Court appearances have little impact on earnings, the survey also found.

Brian Thompson, secretary of the Expert Witness Institute, said some experts' fees - particularly in criminal litigation - were 'meagre' and were causing a shortage of witnesses.

Forensic experts dealing with crimes against children were also deterred by the uproar over evidence given in cases where mothers were wrongly convicted of killing their babies.

'[Experts] feel that they are something of an endangered species,' he said.

Paula Rohan

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