Industry sector
Expert Structural Engineering for Legal Proceedings
Expert witness reports, court and tribunal testimony, mediation support, and construction dispute investigation for legal professionals across Australia.
Discuss your projectStructural engineering disputes are resolved by the quality of the technical evidence. An expert report that is vague, lacks methodology disclosure, or cannot withstand cross-examination will not serve your client well. Our engineers prepare expert reports that comply with the Expert Witness Code of Conduct applicable in the relevant jurisdiction, disclose all methodology and assumptions, and present opinions that are clearly linked to observed evidence and analysis.
We are engaged by solicitors, barristers, insurers, building owners, and body corporates. In each engagement, independence is maintained regardless of who is paying. Courts and tribunals require that expert witnesses serve the tribunal, not the party that appointed them. Our opinions are evidence-based, and we do not shade our findings to favour the engaging party. Clients who engage us for expert evidence receive honest opinions, including those that are unfavourable to their position.
Expert conclave participation is increasingly required in building and construction proceedings. We attend conclaves, engage constructively with experts appointed by the opposing party, and produce joint statements that identify agreed and disputed issues. Our engineers are experienced in the conclave process and understand the distinction between genuine technical disagreements and matters that can reasonably be agreed between experts.
Beyond expert witness work, we provide technical support to legal teams at the investigation stage. This includes scoping the investigation, briefing counsel on the engineering issues, explaining technical concepts in plain terms, and identifying weaknesses in the technical evidence of the opposing party. Early technical engagement reduces the risk of surprises at the expert conclave or hearing.
Services we deliver
- 01Expert witness reports for court and tribunal
- 02QCAT, NCAT, VCAT, SACAT, and SAT submissions
- 03District Court and Supreme Court expert evidence
- 04Joint expert conferencing and statements
- 05Mediation technical support
- 06Construction dispute investigation
- 07Technical advice to legal counsel
- 08Quantum of damage assessment
Typical engagements
- 01Party-appointed expert witness
- 02Court-appointed single expert
- 03Joint expert conferencing participant
- 04Technical advisor to legal counsel
- 05Investigation before proceedings commenced
- 06Supplementary opinion and rebuttal report
Frequently asked questions
Legal & Litigation engineering questions answered
Q01
What qualifications do your expert witnesses hold?
Our expert witnesses are RPEQ-registered (Registered Professional Engineers of Queensland) structural engineers who also hold CPEng (Chartered Professional Engineer) status through Engineers Australia. These credentials meet the qualification requirements for expert engineers in Australian courts and tribunals. Our engineers have provided expert evidence in QCAT, NCAT, VCAT, the District Court, Federal Court, and Supreme Court across multiple jurisdictions.
Q02
How do you handle an expert conclave?
Expert conclaves are joint meetings of the expert witnesses on each side, typically without the parties or their lawyers present. The purpose is to identify issues on which experts agree and narrow the genuine technical disagreements. We approach conclaves constructively: we prepare thoroughly, engage in good faith, and produce a joint statement that accurately records the agreed and disputed issues. We do not use conclaves as an opportunity to advocate for our engaging party. The strength of our position is that our opinions are evidence-based and we can explain the reasoning clearly.
Q03
Can you provide supplementary or rebuttal expert reports?
Yes. After an initial expert report is exchanged, proceedings may require supplementary opinions responding to new evidence, rebuttal reports responding to the opposing expert, or additional analysis following a joint conclave. We provide these on the timelines required by the tribunal or court directions. In preparing rebuttal reports, we address the opposing expert opinions on their technical merits rather than engaging in advocacy.
Q04
What types of building disputes do you most commonly assist with?
Our most common litigation engagements involve structural defects in strata buildings, residential construction defects under home warranty insurance claims, post-tensioned slab failures, retaining wall collapses, facade failures, waterproofing disputes, and insurance damage causation disputes. We also assist with quantum matters where the cost of remediation is disputed and technical input is required to assess the scope and method of repair.