Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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ForensisGroup
Experts
Referral Process
Fees, Rates, And Billing
- What does it cost to receive resumes / curriculum vitae (CV’s), and fee schedules?
- How much does it cost to recruit an expert?
- How much do your experts cost?
- What do you charge?
- How much does your service cost?
- Are retainers or deposits of any kind required?
- Are deposits refundable?
- How does client billing work?
- Who do I pay?
- How does an expert get paid?
- Who and how does an expert bill or invoice?
Where is ForensisGroup located?
ForensisGroup is physically located at 3452 East Foothill Boulevard, Suite 1160, Pasadena, California 91107-3160. It has experts for referral in 41 states. Most ForensisGroup experts travel; many also offer special discounts on travel-related fees to make it cost effective for our clients to retain them.
What is your service area?
ForensisGroup is physically located in Pasadena, California. Its historic service area includes the greater Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and Reno metropolitan areas. Experts are currently available through most of Northern and Southern California, as well as, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Florida, Illinois, New York, and thirty-five other states. Most of our experts are willing to travel. Lastly, ForensisGroup has full-time staff dedicated to locating potential experts without cost or further obligation to the client.
Why call ForensisGroup for an expert?
ForensisGroup is dedicated to making it as easy as possible for you to choose from the best selection of experts to resolve your needs. We put you in touch with experts for free and at no obligation. If you feel the selection we have provided is inadequate, we will recruit the expert you are seeking at no cost to you. If you are unsure of the type of expert you need, we will ascertain potential experts from various associated disciplines. Experts offering their services through ForensisGroup are evaluated by clients after each job so we are constantly improving the quality of our process for clients.
How long has ForensisGroup been around?
Mercy Steenwyk, the company’s director, founded the company as Construction Expert Resource in 1991. Within its first few years, the name was changed to ForensisGroup to better capture the growing unique range of forensic disciplines available to clients.
Are the experts your employees?
ForensisGroup experts are independent contractors of the company. They may be employed, retired, or otherwise engaged as private consultants in the service of others.
Does ForensisGroup do plaintiff work? Defense? Insurance?
ForensisGroup refers experts to attorneys, self-insureds, insurance professionals, corporations, private and public agencies, as well as to other experts in need of assistance, without regard to the side they are representing.
Are you an engineering company, expert directory, or referral company?
ForensisGroup is a referral company. Its experts are independent contractors with whom the company has ongoing referral agreements.
Where are your experts?
How many experts do you have?
ForensisGroup includes over 2,000 consultants, expert witnesses, forensic experts, and investigators in most technical, construction, medical, scientific, and engineering disciplines across 41 U.S. states. We have full-time staff to locate potential experts at no cost or further obligation on behalf of the client.
I don’t see an expert / area of expertise listed, do you have them?
Are all available experts listed on your site?
Call or email us to determine the latest information concerning expert availability or what is available within a given area of expertise. Keep in mind the profiles listed and keywords linked to them are not complete resumes or C.V.’s. ForensisGroup is also routinely contacted by experts wishing to work with us as it is always recruiting new experts. Consequently, the website will only feature a sample of available experts rather than the complete range of expertise available. Lastly, if there is an area in which we lack a selection - whether geographic or within an area of forensic expertise, we attempt to fill it within our client’s time constraints.
How do you qualify your experts?
ForensisGroup has internal quality control standards to which it rigorously adheres concerning verification of experts’ professional and educational standing, as well as, disciplinary history. It is our goal to offer experts known for their honesty, knowledge, reliability, professionalism, and demeanor. However, what we rely on most are the opinions of our clients. After each job, client opinions are solicited regarding the expert’s performance and abilities. We will not refer experts with whom our clients are unsatisfied. Any referral by the company is an opinion only and is not to be solely relied upon as to the qualifications of an expert. It is the client’s responsibility to thoroughly qualify their expert of choice. ForensisGroup accepts no responsibility and assumes no liability for any expert information or work.
What does it take to become one of your experts?
ForensisGroup is always recruiting. Those interested in becoming experts are advised to have a look at Become An Expert and contact the ForensisGroup Recruitment Administrator. All candidates are asked to understand that the needs of our clients take precedence over solicitations from new experts. To have the process move as expeditiously as possible, candidates are advised to understand what paperwork will be requested.
How do I contact a specific expert?
Email or phone the company and say you would like to speak with the expert. Most of our experts willingly make themselves available for an initial telephone consultation at no cost or obligation to retain.
How do I retain a specific expert?
Email or phone the company and say you would like to retain the expert. The company will let the expert know, exchange any necessary contact information, set the paperwork in motion, and finalize any retainer arrangement necessary prior to initiation of services.
Where do I send materials I need the expert to review?
What is the relationship between the Client and an Expert?
Clients need to send all records, materials, etc. for the expert to review or analyze directly to the expert. ForensisGroup handles all administrative and billing issues allowing the client and expert to focus on work as it proceeds. The scope and nature of work is determined and directed by the client; the expert retains complete control over the technical and scientific aspects of work. Both parties’ financial relationship is with ForensisGroup. As an independent contractor, the expert submits invoices to ForensisGroup for work on cases obtained through the company. ForensisGroup, in turn, invoices the client.
What does it cost to receive resumes / curriculum vitae (CV’s), and fee schedules?
There is no cost to receive an individual’s fee schedule and resume or C.V. nor is there any obligation to retain that individual.
How much does it cost to recruit an expert?
ForensisGroup does not charge anything for recruiting experts for their clients though it employs full-time staff for that work. Neither is there an obligation on behalf of the client to retain an expert whose information they have been forwarded. Our goal is to provide clients with as many quality choices as possible. If you are not satisfied with the experts you have received or if you would like for us to recruit alternatives, let us know. It is in our interest to have experts for referral with whom our clients want to work. If we don’t have who you’re looking for, we would like to know.
How much do your experts cost?
What do you charge?
How much does your service cost?
ForensisGroup experts work with the company to ensure hourly fees offered through the company remain competitive and fair. As each expert has different levels of professional experience, accreditation, and legal background, fees have been individually negotiated with ForensisGroup. As a result, fees may differ significantly from expert to expert. The fee schedule the client receives for each expert contains a flat markup. Were the client to retain that expert and work undertaken, this is the rate at which the client would be billed.
Are retainers or deposits of any kind required?
Are deposits refundable?
ForensisGroup experts may specify a retainer or deposit arrangement within their company agreement that the company will execute on their behalf. However, if there is no agreement in place for a given expert, ForensisGroup generally requests a deposit / retainer of between $500.00 and 2,000.00 prior to the initiation of work. In certain cases, retainers may be waived at the discretion of the company and the expert. Deposits are immediately applicable to the first invoice and fully-refundable if no work is done unless otherwise specified on an expert’s fee schedule or verbally prior to case opening.
How does client billing work?
Who do I pay?
ForensisGroup submits invoices to the client for which they are responsible. Payment for invoices is to be forwarded to ForensisGroup. Further, with the exception of deposits and retainers, the company does not generate bills without having first received an invoice from the expert on the case. If you have not received an invoice or never been invoiced for completed work, please contact us so we might follow up with the expert.
How does an expert get paid?
ForensisGroup sends out checks to experts on the 15th and 30th of each month after payment has been received from the client. Experts requiring immediate payment must specify unique arrangements (i.e. - replenishment retainers) so the client and company are fully aware of the expert’s needs.
Who and how does an expert bill or invoice?
As an independent contractor, an expert submits invoices to ForensisGroup on a monthly basis for work performed on cases obtained through the company. Experts are responsible for submitting invoices to the company on a regular basis for work as it is completed. There is no set format required for invoices, however, an invoice should at minimum specify file number, case name, time and date of each billable task completed, rate for each billable task, duration of work, nature of billable task (if not immediately apparent), and breakdown of reimbursable materials or expenses. Though ForensisGroup does not require submittal of receipts for materials or expenses, it is advised to have them available if requested by clients or disputes arise. The invoice may be transmitted via fax or mail to the attention of Fe in our Operations Department, or by email to: Fe “at” ForensisGroup “dot” com.
Unauthorized use or reproduction of this site or its contents is illegal. This site is the sole property of ForensisGroup, Inc. All rights reserved. Information provided is not legal or professional advice. Publisher assumes no liability in connection with the use of published information. © 2010 ForensisGroup, Inc. Questions? Please contact Experts “at” ForensisGroup “dot” com.
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Contact ForensisGroup:
- ForensisGroup, Inc.
- 3452 E. Foothill Blvd., Suite 1160 Pasadena, CA 91107-3160
- 800-555-5422 Toll Free
- 626-795-5000 Telephone
- 626-795-1950 Fax
- Experts “at” ForensisGroup “dot” com
- Add to address book
Email Directory
- Follow up on Expert Request
- Retain an Expert
- Case Status
- Billing
- Become an Expert
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