About Expert Witness UK
Expert Witness UK is a fully managed expert witness agency connecting solicitors and barristers with CrimPR Rule 19 and FPR Part 25 compliant psychological, psychiatric, forensic, and specialist expert witnesses across England and Wales. We respond promptly to every instruction and manage the process from expert selection through to report delivery.
What We Do
Expert Witness UK is a specialist agency. We do not provide legal advice and we do not represent clients in proceedings. Our sole function is to connect instructing solicitors and barristers with the right expert witness for the case — and to manage that instruction from start to finish.
We work exclusively in three practice areas: criminal defence, immigration and asylum, and family law. We do not cover personal injury, clinical negligence, or civil litigation. This focus means that every expert on our panel has been selected for their experience in the proceedings where they are most likely to be instructed, and that our case managers understand the procedural rules — CrimPR Rule 19, FPR Part 25, and the Immigration Rules — that govern expert evidence in those proceedings.
When you instruct through Expert Witness UK, you receive a named case manager who handles the instruction from the point of contact through to report delivery. We chase experts, manage timetabling, liaise between parties, and assist with prior authority applications where Legal Aid is in play.
Is Expert Witness UK a law firm?
No. Expert Witness UK is an expert witness agency. We are not a law firm, do not provide legal advice, and are not regulated by the SRA. Our function is to identify, vet, and instruct expert witnesses on behalf of solicitors and barristers.
What types of expert witnesses do you provide?
We provide psychological, psychiatric, neurological, forensic, CCTV and digital forensics, and drug and alcohol expert witnesses. All experts are vetted for qualifications, court experience, and compliance with the relevant procedural rules.
Do your experts accept Legal Aid rates?
Yes. Our experts accept Legal Aid Agency rates. We can assist with prior authority applications and advise on the appropriate rate for the complexity of the case.
Who We Serve
Our clients are legal professionals instructing expert witnesses in criminal, family, and immigration proceedings across England and Wales.
Solicitors
Criminal defence solicitors, family solicitors, and immigration solicitors who need to instruct an expert witness, obtain prior authority, or manage an existing instruction. We handle the process so you can focus on the case.
Barristers
Counsel who require a specific expert for a hearing, who need to review an existing report, or who need to identify an expert at short notice. We respond promptly and can usually provide a name within 24 hours.
Law Firms
Firms that instruct expert witnesses regularly and want a single agency relationship that covers all practice areas — criminal, family, and immigration — with consistent case management and compliance standards.
Our Expert Disciplines
We provide expert witnesses across six specialist disciplines. Every expert is vetted for qualifications, court experience, and compliance with the relevant procedural rules.
Psychology
Psychological assessments for criminal, family, and immigration proceedings.
Psychiatry
Psychiatric reports including fitness to plead, diminished responsibility, and MHA assessments.
Neurology
Brain injury, epilepsy, and neurological conditions in criminal and civil proceedings.
Forensic Science
Forensic evidence analysis, DNA, toxicology, and scene examination.
CCTV & Digital Forensics
CCTV enhancement, digital evidence, cell site analysis, and device forensics.
Drug & Alcohol
Hair strand testing, toxicology reports, and drug-driving expert evidence.
Our Compliance Standards
Expert evidence is only as useful as its procedural compliance. Every expert on our panel is selected against the specific compliance requirements of the proceedings in which they are instructed.
- Overriding duty to the court, not the instructing party
- Impartiality — no advocacy for the instructing party
- Statement of the limits of expertise
- Compliance with the court's directions on format and timetable
- Disclosure of any conflict of interest
- Court permission required before instruction
- Necessity test — the court must be satisfied the evidence is necessary
- Single joint expert where appropriate
- Compliance with the letter of instruction and court timetable
- Experts' meetings and joint statements where directed
- Independent assistance to the court
- Objective, unbiased opinion on matters within expertise
- Identification of facts or assumptions on which opinion is based
- Qualification of opinion where insufficient data exists
- Communication of any change of view to all parties
How We Work
Our managed instruction process is designed to reduce the administrative burden on instructing solicitors and to ensure that every instruction is handled consistently and in compliance with the relevant procedural rules.
Instruction Received
Contact us by telephone or through our online instruction form. A named case manager is assigned immediately.
Expert Identified
We identify the most appropriate expert from our vetted panel, having regard to the specific issues in the case, the timetable, and the LAA rate.
Instruction Agreed
We assist with the letter of instruction, confirm the expert's availability and fee, and manage the exchange of documents between parties.
Report Delivered
We manage the instruction through to report delivery, chasing the expert against the agreed timetable and liaising between parties as required.
Why Solicitors Choose Expert Witness UK
The quality of an expert witness instruction depends on the quality of the match between the expert and the specific issues in the case. Our value is in that matching process — and in managing the instruction so that it does not become a source of delay or cost.
CrimPR Rule 19 Compliant
Every expert on our panel meets the duties set out in CrimPR Rule 19.2 — the overriding duty to the court, impartiality, and the requirement to state the limits of expertise.
FPR Part 25 Compliant
All family law experts are instructed in accordance with FPR Part 25 and PD25B. We assist with permission applications, letters of instruction, and timetabling.
Prompt Response on Every Instruction
We respond to every instruction promptly. We do not operate a ticketing system — every instruction is handled by an experienced case manager.
LAA Rates Accepted
Our experts accept Legal Aid Agency rates. We assist with prior authority applications and can advise on the appropriate rate for the complexity of the case.
Managed Instruction Process
We manage the entire instruction from expert selection through to report delivery — including chasing, timetabling, and liaison between parties.
Vetted Expert Panel
Every expert on our panel has been individually vetted for qualifications, court experience, compliance with procedural rules, and professional registration.
Legal Sectors We Serve
We work exclusively in criminal defence, immigration and asylum, and family law proceedings in England and Wales.
Criminal Defence
Psychological, psychiatric, forensic, and digital expert evidence for Crown Court and Magistrates' Court proceedings. CrimPR Rule 19 compliant.
Immigration & Asylum
Istanbul Protocol assessments, vulnerability reports, PTSD assessments, age assessment reports, and modern slavery expert evidence.
Family Law
Parenting capacity assessments, domestic abuse and coercive control assessments, hair strand testing, and non-accidental injury expert evidence. FPR Part 25 compliant.
Key Resources
What Is an Expert Witness?
The legal definition, duties, and role of an expert witness in UK proceedings.
CrimPR Rule 19 Compliance
The expert's duties in criminal proceedings and how to instruct compliantly.
FPR Part 25 Expert Evidence
The necessity test, permission applications, and the expert's duties in family proceedings.
Letter of Instruction Guide
What to include in a letter of instruction and how to avoid common drafting errors.
Ready to Instruct an Expert?
Contact us today to discuss your instruction. We respond promptly to every enquiry and can usually identify the right expert within 24 hours.