California Surveyors Forums

I'm getting a lot of unsolicited email these days from expert witness brokers. BPELSG tells me it doesn't have jurisdiction, which means that this activity appears to be legal. I do a fair amount of expert witness work, but I prefer working directly for the attorney handling the case. What I'm wondering is whether or not there's a trend among attorneys to contract with these brokers instead of seeking out individual experts. Are any of you folks seeing such a thing?

Thanks!

Requests for my services generally come from full service engineering firms. I suppose it's a sign of the times that brokers are now filling a perceived gap. That is, a bit of an RFQ with a hefty commission, I'm sure.

There is an expert witness headhunting industry out there. I've worked with some, good experiences. It is important to be selective on which cases to take.

Got contacted a few days ago about a case where a mountain biker crashed over a survey monument. I did not take that one.

LS_8750 wrote: Thu Jul 24, 2025 11:02 am There is an expert witness headhunting industry out there. I've worked with some, good experiences. It is important to be selective on which cases to take.

Got contacted a few days ago about a case where a mountain biker crashed over a survey monument. I did not take that one.

Note to self - add "monument set recessed and below grade" to all future maps.

I listed with a directory service. It's not a broker in that they don't take a cut of my fees or arrange the services. It's more like the yellow pages. I pay an annual fee for the listing. Attorneys call directly. Been on it about a year and get a couple of calls per month. Client and case screening is up to me.

I researched the service I listed with and found them to be reputable. I'm satisfied with how it's been working.

Since starting this listing, I have been contacted by other listing services and at least one broker. Haven't seen the need for other listing services and wouldn't work with a broker.