What to charge for court appearance?

[New Orleans Guy]

I completed an appraisal for a someone that is suing the county/parish for tearing down a distressed 4-plex that they should not have. The lawyer has asked me if I am available on the upcoming court day. I have never been asked to go to court and am unsure of what is fair to charge. I am aquainted with the property owner so it was a $400 assignment if that matters. I will likely show up, wait then have to go home without talking to anybody. Has anyone done this and what did you charge? I want to be fair but get paid what is normal/reasonable. Was it by the hour? Day????

John

 

[McMurphy]

FWIW:

The US District Court Judge ordered the opposing counsel to pay me a C Note per hour, including drive time to and from the court.

 

[Pilgrum]

The last time I was in court I charged $100 per hour from the time I walked out the door till the time I walked back in. Plus all expenses.
Consider that you are out of business for that time. Also you may have assignments that suffer extended TAT because you cannot give them the attention they need because you are in court.

 

[New Orleans Guy]

The last time I was in court I charged $100 per hour from the time I walked out the door till the time I walked back in. Plus all expenses.
Consider that you are out of business for that time. Also you may have assignments that suffer extended TAT because you cannot give them the attention they need because you are in court.

Good advice $100 seems to be the norm so far.

 

[JamesRockford]

$100 an hour with 4 hour minimum per day + mileage, toll and parking fees.

 

[Scott R Marshall]

I've never done it but I've heard that $75 to $100 per hour is the norm. Some people have charged minimums in the realm of 2+ hours, some charge for other various expenses (meals, parking, mileage, etc).

While a bit off subject, I have also heard that it is best to become VERY familiar with this assignment as there is nothing worse than an expert witness showing they are something less than that when, and if, cross examined.

 

[New Orleans Guy]

Yes I know I will need to go through the report again and make sure I know what the answers to 100 questions are. I HOPE I don't have to be cross examined.

 

[Pilgrum]

One of the hardest thing you will have to do is educate the attornies, Judge and Jurors.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

Day rate...everyone ought to have a day rate. $500, $650, $1000 whatever

 

[Peter LeQuire]

I've never done it but I've heard that $75 to $100 per hour is the norm. Some people have charged minimums in the realm of 2+ hours, some charge for other various expenses (meals, parking, mileage, etc).

While a bit off subject, I have also heard that it is best to become VERY familiar with this assignment as there is nothing worse than an expert witness showing they are something less than that when, and if, cross examined.

That's right.

Attorney: "Mr. Valuator, just exactly where did you get the adjustment for living area?"

Answer: "Mr. Jake Leg, (whipping out his paired sales, or his extraction calculations or whatever) here is the analysis of each of the comparables that shows how that adjustment was derived."

Attorney: "And just how do you determine the quality of a house you've never been in?"

Answer: "Mr. Jake Leg, (whipping out is MLS brief with notes from his conversation with the listing agent) I obtained that information from the listing brief and with additional data, noted on the brief, gotten in a conversation with Broker Dokes on 12, Never, 2011."

Etc.