A lawsuit can occur for a variety of reasons and it doesn’t take much for one to take place. In order to effectively protect yourself, you’ll need legal assistance. Similarly, you’ll also need witnesses.
Witnesses are critically important in many lawsuits. But how do you make sure they are well prepared for the trial? Witness preparation is usually done by the defense attorneys in order to have a better result during the court proceedings. Preparation is also required before video depositions, especially in high-stakes lawsuits.
Witness preparation is often conducted by the defense attorneys, as described above. It’s often an important tool for any defense team and it is employed in high-stake lawsuits. Lawyers have experience when working with witnesses and they know how to prepare them. So why would they need a witness preparation consultant in Denver? How can they help? Let’s take a look at the advantages of using a witness preparation consultant in Broward:
Being Too Close To A Witness Can Be Problematic
One of the main advantages of using a witness preparation consultant is that a lawyer can become too close to an important witness. This means that the lawyer can see their flaws, can determine their weaknesses and can even see the witness as their friend. For instance, if a lawyer has previously worked with the witness or expert for years, a friendship can be formed, which can negatively affect the course of the trial.
The lawyer may think the witness is likable and believable. This can be a problem during trials, especially if the witness is weak and unprepared. Witnesses can also hide certain pieces of information or their character flaws when working with a lawyer. These can impact the lawsuit tremendously, especially if they are unreliable and untrustworthy. For instance, a lack of confidence can make the whole testimony unreliable – words like “I guess”, “probably”, “uhmmm” or staring down can be seen as signs of weakness during court proceedings. Lawyers can be too close to the witnesses, and they simply won’t see this as a potential problem during the trial.
On the other hand, a witness preparation consultant in Denver can offer a neutral perspective. This means that the preparation will be more effective and the potentially problematic behaviors can be avoided. The case can go forward much faster and with fewer risks. Your defense team can see the witness more objectively and can better handle his or her depositions and testimonies.
Maintaining The Important Attorney-Witness Relationship
The attorney-witness relationship should be primarily built on trust and mutual respect. The goal of the trial, however, is to produce a quality deposition or testimony. In order to improve the person’s performance during these stressful court proceedings, the preparation process has to be clear and direct. In some situations, this will potentially damage the attorney-witness relationship. Difficult conversations and strict rules may be included during the preparation. For instance, the witness may feel threatened or overwhelmed if his or her lawyer imposes a certain behavior during the testimony. In order to avoid this challenge, you should consider using the services of a witness preparation consultant in Broward. The attorney-witness relationship is safe and the consultant will know how to handle the difficult conversations with the witness. The preparation process won’t be as stressful and as delicate as before. The conversation will be much smoother if it is initiated by a neutral, objective third party. The witness will be less stressed and everything will work more efficiently and quicker.
Witness Preparation Consultants Are The Experts
Witness preparation consultants are the experts, and they know what they are doing. They have the experience and background required to work in this legal field. Usually, witness preparation consultants in Denver have degrees in psychology, sociology, criminology or other social sciences and the know-how to deal with people. Even problematic, sensitive or confrontational witnesses are not a problem for experienced witness preparation consultants in Broward. They are also experts in trial testimonies and human behavior in stressful situations.
Their experience comes after years of training and first-hand court experience. Talking with jurors and mock jurors are other ways to get relevant experience. Extensive conversations and juror interviews prepare and train witness preparation consultants better understand the legal process and human behavior. They know how to handle poor eye contact, hedging, soft voice, and fidgeting. These are common signs of nervousness among witnesses and should be avoided. Simply put, consultants know what to look for and know how to help witnesses avoid certain behaviors that may negatively affect the trial. They also know how to emphasize positive behaviors.
Managing The Challenges Of Testifying
Testifying is no easy process, both for witnesses and for the defense team involved. It’s incredibly stressful and simply overwhelming for most witnesses, especially if they don’t have legal experience. Testimonies are not casual conversations and many witnesses don’t know how to speak, what to speak and when. They don’t know what’s important for the case and what they should focus on. Consultants teach witnesses strategies to efficiently manage the testifying process. They are taught how to manage the huge amount of information that they have to remember (sometimes for many years) and recite during the court proceedings. This educational process is conducted via several memory and communication techniques. These will help witnesses manage the stressful cross-examination procedures and answer questions precisely.
Good consultants can also help witnesses tell the truth in a more convincing way, in order to help jurors better understand the case. This can be a simple exercise for the witness, but a terribly important one. In some cases, witnesses are truthful, but the jurors may not feel the same. A consultant can help witnesses better communicate with the jury. Also, in more complex trials, consultants can help create a plan for the witnesses. This will help the entire defense team and create a strategic approach to testifying. A consultant is likely to have experience with similar witnesses and create a strategy ideally tailored for certain witnesses. This can help tremendously a defense case and can speed up the entire lawsuit.
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