Witness preparation services are an underutilized service. Many attorneys and clients may think that they simply need to tell the truth in court. The reality, however, is that sometimes the other side can twist the truth, or make you look as if you aren’t telling the truth. Being prepared for whatever may come your way when you testify will help your credibility and the support of your case.
Here are just some of the helpful services a witness preparation firm will provide.
Iron Out Details
Gather a full understanding of your knowledge of the case and what you plan to say. First, the team should go over all the details of the case. Then, they will allow you to talk through what you know. This is usually in their office or a neutral place where you will feel at ease. The point of this meeting is to just gather knowledge so they know where to focus their efforts.
Provide feedback
The team will do this throughout the process, and suggest some things you will have to work on prior to the trial. If there are gaps in your remarks, they will want to formulate a plan to handle those. If there are issues with your background or credibility, they will want to plan time to work with you specifically on responding to negative questions.
Advise Your Personal Appearance
This is very important. To appear credible and trustworthy to the jury can make a big difference in the cases decision. They may suggest a haircut, a clean shave, wearing a suit or other court-appropriate professional clothing.
Read Your Body Language
The team or advisor helping you will look for how you use your hands, sit in the chair, move your head, and a host of other things you do while you are speak and answer questions. The team will point out things that you should or shouldn’t do in front of the jury, and probably advise you to practice in front of a mirror so you can see for yourself. Most firms videotape the sessions with clients so that they can talk through issues in detail.
Conduct A Mock Testimony
After you are comfortable in a neutral setting, the team will get you into a courtroom setting so you can get an idea of what it will look like, where the other side will be, where the jurors will be, etc. They will again walk through your testimony in a straightforward way so that you will feel comfortable.
Conduct Cross Examinations
The attorney you are working with will ask you questions knowing what your answer will be, and will try to keep you as comfortable as possible. The attorney for the other side will likely not be as understanding. They may want to insert doubt into your testimony, and may do so by making you feel uncomfortable. The witness preparation team will practice cross examination with you so you will be better prepared for what may be asked of you.
A witness preparation team may be invaluable to make you feel comfortable in providing testimony, and improve your chance of winning the case. They can make a real difference to the outcome.