An expert witness is somebody whose opinion as a result of expertise,training,qualifications,experience or even just experience is accepted by the court as an objective expert who is likely to help to give evidence. An expert is someone who is well versed with certain laws and rules. There are many different types of expert witnesses and each has their own specific role in the litigation process.
One type of expert witness is known as a specialist,whereas another type of expert is referred to as an observer. These two types of expert witnesses are considered by the courts as separate people and their roles are very different. As an observer,the expert will not be acting on behalf of anyone else. They will just observe a certain activity taking place so that they can provide an opinion as to what has taken place. In a way,an expert witness is like an eye witness in that they have the benefit of first-hand knowledge,but will not be making any decisions as to whether or not a certain action was legal or not. Their role is purely observation of the events taking place.
A third type of expert is known as an authority on the matter. These are people who have received training from a recognised institution and therefore have a degree of expertise that could be useful in the case being presented. In this instance,it is important that you find out exactly what kind of expertise these experts have before you make your decision about who to hire for a specific case.