What Solicitors Look For in an Expert Witness Surveyor's CV

Before a solicitor instructs an expert, they read the CV. An expert witness CV is not a marketing profile: it is the document a solicitor uses to decide whether a surveyor can give evidence the court will accept, and it is often the first thing the other side and the judge will test. A good expert witness CV shows four things quickly: the right professional qualification, hands-on experience in the exact field in dispute, an understanding of the expert's duties under CPR Part 35, and clear evidence of independence. This guide explains what solicitors look for, line by line, and the warning signs that take a surveyor off the shortlist.

Why the expert witness CV carries more weight than most surveyors expect

Expert evidence in England and Wales is only admitted with the court's permission. Under CPR 35.4, the party applying for permission must identify the field in which expert evidence is required and the issues it will address, and, where practicable, name the proposed expert. The CV is what supports that application. If the court or the opposing party can see from the CV that the surveyor has never practised in the relevant field, permission can be refused or the evidence given little weight.

Practice Direction 35 requires every expert report to give details of the expert's qualifications, and the report is verified by a statement of truth. Anything overstated in the CV is therefore overstated in evidence, and it will be the first line of cross-examination. The RICS practice statement on surveyors acting as expert witnesses adds a professional layer: a chartered surveyor who accepts an instruction outside their competence risks a conduct complaint as well as a bad day in court.

Qualifications and professional standing

Solicitors look first for chartered status, MRICS or FRICS, and the date of election, because years of post-qualification practice matter more than years in the industry. The CV should state the RICS pathway and specialism (building surveying, valuation, quantity surveying, land and boundaries), and any registrations that the subject matter demands. For valuation evidence the court will expect a RICS Registered Valuer with Red Book experience; for party wall evidence, a surveyor who has actually acted under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996; for structural questions, the CV should show when a structural engineer is brought in rather than implying the surveyor covers both.

Formal expert witness training is a strong signal. Solicitors are reassured by a recognised expert witness course, RICS expert witness accreditation, or evidence of regular CPD on CPR Part 35, because it tells them the surveyor already understands the overriding duty to the court, the required contents of a report and the joint statement process.

Relevant field experience: the test that decides most shortlists

CPR 35.4 ties permission to a field, and the court restricts expert evidence to what is reasonably required. Solicitors therefore read the CV against the specific issue in the claim, not the profession in general. A dispute about a failed flat roof needs a surveyor who inspects and specifies roofs; a surveyor negligence claim needs someone who carries out the same level of survey as the surveyor being criticised; a boundary dispute needs measured-survey and title-plan experience, not a residential valuer.

The most persuasive CVs give dated, specific examples of comparable work: the property types, the construction forms, the regions and the defects the surveyor deals with week to week. Current practice matters. An expert who stopped inspecting buildings a decade ago is vulnerable to the suggestion that their knowledge of current standards, materials and the RICS Home Survey Standard is out of date. Solicitors also check that the CV does not quietly widen the field: a building surveyor who claims expertise in valuation, structural engineering, planning and quantum in one document invites the question of which of those they really practise.

Expert witness track record and court experience

The CV should set out how many expert instructions the surveyor has accepted, over what period, and in which forums: County Court, the Technology and Construction Court, the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber), arbitration or construction adjudication. Solicitors look at the balance of claimant, defendant and single joint expert appointments, because a surveyor who only ever acts for one side looks like an advocate. Joint statements, written questions answered and attendances at trial or mediation all show the expert has worked inside the Part 35 process.

A first-time expert is not disqualified. What solicitors want in that case is honesty about the position, evidence of training, and a clear understanding of the report format the court requires. Claiming court experience that cannot be verified is far more damaging than having none.

Independence, conflicts, insurance and availability

An expert's overriding duty under CPR 35.3 is to the court, not to the party paying the fee. The CV, or the covering note that goes with it, should therefore confirm that a conflict check can be run against the parties, the property, the other professionals involved and any previous instructions. Solicitors also expect to see professional indemnity insurance in place at a level that fits the value of the claim; experts have been liable to their own clients for negligent evidence since 2011, so cover is not a formality.

Fee terms belong alongside the CV. The RICS practice statement does not permit fees that depend on the outcome of the case, and the court can limit the expert fees recoverable from the other side, so solicitors want a clear hourly rate or fixed fee for the report, a day rate for court attendance and an estimate of hours. Across the panel the published figures are £150–£300 per hour, £5,000–£15,000 for a report on a straightforward matter, and £1,000–£2,000 per day for court attendance. Confirmation that the surveyor can inspect, report and attend within the directions timetable should come with the CV.

Red flags that take a surveyor off the list

• Advocacy language. Phrases such as “proven record of winning cases” or “fighting for homeowners” contradict the duty to the court and will be quoted back in cross-examination.
• Undated or unverifiable claims. “Extensive litigation experience” with no numbers, forums or years tells a solicitor nothing.
• A field that keeps growing. Expertise claimed in every surveying discipline at once signals that none is deep enough.
• No reference to CPR Part 35 or the RICS practice statement. It suggests the surveyor has never been through the process.
• Missing insurance, conflicts or fee basis. Each creates a reason for delay once instructions are drafted.
• A generic brochure CV. A CV written for private clients, full of service lists and testimonials, is not an expert witness CV. Solicitors expect two to four pages focused on the field, the instructions and the duties.

The companion guide on how to instruct an expert witness surveyor sets out what should follow once the CV passes: the letter of instruction, the documents to supply and the report contents the court requires.

How Survey Merchant matches the CV to the dispute

Survey Merchant provides RICS chartered surveyors as expert witnesses from a national panel of 2,400+ surveyors. Rather than sending a general CV and hoping it fits, the panel is matched to the field in dispute first, whether that is construction defects, valuation, party wall, boundary or negligence, so the solicitor receives a CV from a surveyor who practises in that exact area. Each CV can be reviewed before any instruction is given, conflict checks are run against the parties and the property, professional indemnity cover is confirmed, and fixed fees are quoted wherever the scope is clear. Single joint expert appointments are accepted. To request a matched expert witness CV for a property dispute, contact Survey Merchant or call 0204 579 8270. If the question is whether a claim needs an expert at all, start with the guide to when you need an expert witness surveyor.