It is typical for a divorce case to involve expert witnesses of some kind. Often times there is a need for an expert witness to assist in preparation for trial, but in many situations experts are retained to help a case settle ahead of trial.

The cost of expert witnesses can vary greatly depending on type of expertise needed and the amount of work that is entailed. A simple home appraisal can be done by an expert for just several hundreds of dollars. A very in-depth forensic accounting, on the other hand, may cost tens of thousands of dollars. Whether a party decides to spend money on experts depends usually on how many stones they wish to overturn, because the cost can be substantial.

Experts are also used to determine non-financial issues in a case as well. A child and family investigator is an expert witness that is typically appointed to assist in child custody disputes. There are many other types of expert witnesses that can be retained to determine specific issues when the parties’ child custody is in dispute as well.

In Colorado, there are specific rules governing the use of experts in a family law case. The local application of the rules differ in each of the counties as well. In Douglas County, Colorado, the family law court will always issue a case management order setting forth any additional local requirements on the process.