Building Stronger Relationships Between Evaluators and Attorneys

Are you an evaluator or attorney struggling to build a strong, collaborative relationship with your counterpart?  

Relationships with attorneys and evaluators are important for successful legal cases. Attorneys depend on evaluators to provide opinions that can stand up in court, while evaluators rely on them for the right context and clear instructions.  

When you two have a good working relationship, both of you can build strong cases and achieve fair outcomes for clients. When your relationship is weak, misunderstandings can happen, and cases can suffer.

Building strong relationships requires trust, open communication, respect, and a clear understanding of each other’s roles.

This article explores why these relationships matter, what challenges often arise, and how both sides can work together more effectively.  

Why Evaluators and Attorneys Need Each Other

The attorney-evaluator relationship is not just about sharing reports or opinions. It is about creating a partnership that enhances the quality of legal work. Attorneys need evaluators to explain information outside their scope, such as medical diagnoses, psychological assessments, or technical details of a case.  

For instance, in a personal injury case, an attorney needs a patient’s long-term impact of an injury. He needs the evaluator to explain those things. If the evaluator does not know the legal side of the case, like whether the injury causes permanent disability, their report will not give what the attorney needs.  

A strong relationship understands each other’s ultimate goal and stays focused on that.

Common Challenges in Building Strong Relationships

Lack of Communication  

In an attorney-evaluator relationship, a lack of communication can be a barrier. Sometimes, attorneys may send limited records or incomplete background information of the plaintiff. In that case, an evaluator may struggle to provide accurate information. Likewise, evaluators may not always express what additional information they need. When both communicate clearly about what is required, it makes the review more accurate and valuable.  

Different professional cultures  

Attorneys and evaluators often come from different professional backgrounds. Evaluators focus on clinical findings, data, or scientific data, while attorneys think in terms of statutes, case law, arguments, and the client’s interests.  

These differences can easily create confusion or disagreements. However, recognizing each other’s perspectives and maintaining proper communication can rebuild and strengthen the relationship.  

Time Pressure  

Mostly, legal cases move quickly, and both of your sides may feel rushed. Attorneys may ask for reports in short timelines, but evaluators may require more time to carefully review evidence. Setting clear timelines and realistic expectations can help balance both needs.  

Costs and resources  

Evaluations can be expensive, and attorneys working with limited budgets may cut corners by giving less material to review. This can weaken the strength of the evaluator’s testimony. Open discussions about scope, resources, and expectations can help both sides work efficiently.  

Recognizing these challenges is the first step toward overcoming them.  

How to Build Trust Between Evaluators and Attorneys  

For smooth and effective work, trust is a basic factor. Attorneys should trust evaluators to give honest and defensible opinions, and evaluators must trust attorneys to use their work fairly and with respect.  

Building trust is a slow process, but we can reduce the time by following these steps:  

• Transparency

Attorneys and evaluators should be open about their goals.

• Consistency  

Working with the same professionals helps build long term relationships.

• Professional respect  

Each side should recognize the unique skills the other brings.

Backbone of Strong Attorney–Evaluator Relationships  

Communication can solve problems and prevent many issues. Good communication reduces misunderstandings and makes the relationship smoother. It also,  

• Avoids delays in legal proceedings

• Ensures accuracy of information

• Prevents misunderstandings

• Builds trust and reliability

• Supports better case preparation

• Reduces last-minute pressure

• Strengthens professional reputation

Best Practices for Attorneys When Working with Evaluators  

Provide evaluators with complete and organized records. Missing documents can lead to incomplete opinions. Their reports should not only be accurate but also structured in a way that is useful for legal purposes.  

Frame questions clearly. Instead of asking for a “medical opinion,” specify whether you need information on diagnosis, causation, prognosis, or functional limitations.  

Attorneys should never pressure evaluators to change their findings. Doing so can damage credibility in court and harm the case.  

An attorney should avoid using legal jargon. While the case may involve legal questions, evaluators need them translated into factual questions they can address.  

Best Practices for Evaluators When Working with Attorneys  

Write reports in plain, straightforward language whenever possible. Judges and juries may not understand technical terms.  

Be willing to explain findings verbally, not just in writing. Attorneys often need to fully understand the opinion before presenting it in court.  

Attorneys advocate for clients, and evaluators must remain neutral and base their opinions on evidence.

Ask for clarification if the attorney’s request is unclear. It is better to confirm than to assume.

How to Work Together Effectively

Strong relationships are built on everyday practices. Here are some ways attorneys and evaluators can improve their collaboration:

• Regular updates about the case

• Understand each other’s roles

• Feedback and learning

• Mutual reliability

• Maintain open communication

Keep in mind that the ultimate aim is to present clear, accurate, and useful information to the court for a fair outcome.

To sum up,

Challenges like poor communication, time pressures, and different professional cultures can make collaboration difficult. But with effort, transparency, and respect, these challenges can be overcome.

When evaluators and attorneys treat each other as partners, they not only strengthen their own work but also serve clients and the legal system more effectively.