Forensic Economist Qualifications for Delaware Damages Cases

By Christopher Skerritt, M.Ed., MBA, Chief of Economic Services · Published · Reviewed

Delaware courts screen expert testimony for reliability before it reaches the fact finder: the judge asks whether the economist is qualified, whether the opinion rests on sufficient facts and a method the profession recognizes, and whether the method was reliably applied to the case. A report that states each assumption and its source answers those questions directly. The forensic economist qualification is what that inquiry examines: graduate training in economics, finance, or business, a published damages method applied to the record, and a record of reports and testimony.

Recognition and qualification in Delaware

State recognition: Recognized nationally; no state licensure applies. There is no state license for forensic economists to check, so counsel verify the credential with its issuer and review the economist's testimony record directly.

For a matter venued in Delaware, counsel verify the qualification the same way in every venue, because no state licenses forensic economists and there is no Delaware register to check. The elements are the economist's graduate training, the published method behind each component of the report, and the testimony record, and each can be examined directly: the CV, the report's stated sources, and the transcripts of prior depositions. In Delaware, the same elements are what the court weighs when the opinion is challenged, so a report that ties every input to the record and names its data sources answers the qualification question before it is asked.

KW Economics economists apply nationally recognized methods while accounting for Delaware's wage levels, venue, and damages rules.

Delaware courts and venues

Economic damages experts testify in Delaware's courts, where qualification is decided case by case on education, method, and experience rather than on any single credential.

Highest court: Delaware Supreme Court. Federal venues: D. Del. Court system: courts.delaware.gov.

Forensic economists for Delaware matters

KW Economics provides forensic economists for Delaware damages matters, including remote consultation, report preparation, and deposition or trial testimony where the case is venued. Contact us to discuss availability for your matter.

Other credentials in Delaware

Frequently asked: qualifying a forensic economist in Delaware

How do Delaware courts qualify a forensic economist?

Delaware courts screen expert testimony for reliability before it reaches the fact finder: the judge asks whether the economist is qualified, whether the opinion rests on sufficient facts and a method the profession recognizes, and whether the method was reliably applied to the case. A report that states each assumption and its source answers those questions directly. Recognized nationally; no state licensure applies. There is no state license for forensic economists to check, so counsel verify the credential with its issuer and review the economist's testimony record directly.

More questions about this credential

References

Request a consultation on Delaware damages matters or call (201) 343-0700. Plaintiff and defense counsel.