Expert Witness Interview
RORY BOUCHER PLA1361
Randall O. Reder, PA
1319 West Fletcher Avenue
Tampa, FL 33612
813-960-1952
Areas of practice: Civil law, estate planning, landlord/tenant, foreclosure defense, and probate.
Education and Qualifications
- Education: BS degree in math from USF in 1973, JD in law from FSU in 1978
- Seven years senior staff attorney for Chief Justice Joseph A. Boyd
- One and a half years associate attorney for Jonathan Alpert
- Twenty-seven years of practicing law as a solo practitioner
Expert Witness information
- Requested by other attorneys, usually as a professional courtesy
- Prep time to prepare affidavit or testimony is as long as it takes to review file and the attorney’s time sheets
- Required to consider standards used by other attorneys in the area and the guidelines of Rule of Professional Conduct 4-1.15 (Fees and Costs for Legal Services)
- Testified in court and depositions about ten times
- Signed affidavits around 100 times
- Normal hourly rate is $500
Additional information
- Likes the prestige and the money
- No dislikes so far, but other attorneys have complained about being deposed by the other side
- Being an expert witness on attorney’s fees is about providing my opinion. The Judge doesn’t have to accept my opinion and can award an amount different than what I suggested.
- There is case law that sets forth the criteria for being recognized as an expert witness.
- With respect to attorneys, the expert witness also needs to be qualified to express an opinion in the particular area the case concerns.