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Law 101: Legal Guide for the Forensic Expert

Initial Contact

The first contact an attorney makes with the expert may be by telephone, e-mail, letter or in person. At this point, the expert should write an intake memo. The memo should include the:  

  • Date.
  • Name, address, phone number and e-mail address of attorney.
  • Name, address and phone number of opposing attorney.
  • Date of the subject event.
  • Location of the event or evidence involved.
  • Location of relevant documents and information.
  • Brief description of the problem or situation and the alleged crime or event.
  • Statement of terms of initial assignment.

Some initial contacts do not result in cases. It is a good idea to maintain a file of contact memos entitled, "pending matters/not yet cases." The memo could be important when checking for possible conflicts, should the expert be contacted later by opposing parties.

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