Technical/expert rates

[Kerry F]

What warrants charging technical or expert?  Just because a witness is an "expert" I don't necessarily charge expert page rates.  But if a witness is not an expert, but pretty difficult, finger and brain twisting words, how do you determine whether it warrants a technical surcharge?  How long it takes to look up words and spellings and figure out words you've never heard before?

[Rosalie DeLeonardis]

One firm I work for has three different levels which I think increase by 25 cents per page, and whichever one I cirlce is what I get paid, which I always just use level one because I do get paid extra for expert witness, interpreter, video.  Other firms that I have worked with do not consider just because a witness was difficult to take down and I had to spend time researching, even though I wish they would.