How forensic fees work

By Alan Jeffries, Principal Consultant, D3Forensics Limited

Nobody in this sector publishes how fees work, which leaves clients guessing and invoices surprising. Here is our structure, in full, because a client who understands the money instructs with confidence.

The sequence

First, the free part. The initial confidential discussion carries no fee, and neither does feasibility: before any engagement, we say what the evidence will realistically support, and if the honest answer is "this will not get you what you need", we say that and the conversation costs nothing.

Then, a fixed quotation. Work proceeds against a written scope: data sources, objectives, approach, deliverables and a costed estimate agreed before substantive work begins. Scope changes are agreed in writing before they are billed. No metered surprises.

What actually drives cost

Four things, and only four: the number of devices or data sources; the state they are in (a live mailbox is quicker than a damaged phone); the questions being asked (one targeted question costs less than "find everything"); and urgency. Volume of data matters less than people expect; the expensive commodity is examiner attention, and a tight instruction spends it well.

What we never charge

No contingency or success fees, ever: expert evidence must be independent of the outcome of proceedings, and evidence that is paid on results is evidence the court should not trust. No fee for feasibility. No charge for saying no.

How to keep your own costs down

Preserve early: recovery from a device that kept being used costs more and yields less. Instruct tightly: name the question the evidence must answer. And bring the dispute's timeline; an examiner aimed at three weeks costs less than one aimed at three years.

General information, not legal advice; every matter is quoted on its facts.