The Most Expensive Mistake an Attorney can Make When Preparing Visuals

You have a trial coming up. Whether it is a personal injury case, criminal defense, and civil rights cases, determining a verdict can be a very difficult task. This is where demonstrative evidence can become a powerful persuasion tool! By using demonstrative evidence, like illustrations and 3D animation, you will be allowing the judge and jury to see the evidence as it relates to the causation of the events. 

When you’re telling a story, like presenting your argument in court, you want to show your audience what you are saying. If you stand up in front of the judge and jury and only talk, they won’t remember much of what you said. When it is time for the jury to deliberate, they will only retain about 10% of your argument! That’s just not going to be enough. You may think that only telling your audience your side of the argument, rather than showing them, is the biggest mistake you can make. As long as you have demonstrative evidence, you’ve avoided the big mistake right? Wrong! The biggest mistake an attorney can make is waiting until the last minute to develop and incorporate this necessary evidence. 

The most expensive mistake you can make when preparing visuals for mediation or trial is waiting until the last minute to coordinate with your production team. Rushed work is never the best work possible. Preparing early maximizes your opportunity to ensure your exhibits’ accuracy and effectiveness. It also enables the experts at Evidence Room to provide important input throughout the process as well as allows your internal experts to strategize and provide beneficial input. Visual evidence maximizes your leverage in mediation so you may not have to go to trial at all!

It isn’t just about being effective; it’s also about the costs involved. Preparing your visuals early eliminates “Rush” or “Premium Service Fees.” A good rule of thumb is that you have your visuals completed and available to you at least 30 days before you need them. This will ensure the internal experts on your team have enough time to validate any details. As well, it will provide you more time to practice incorporating the exhibits into your strategy. 

From a production standpoint, our standard turnaround time is around two weeks for illustrations and at least 45 to 60 days for 3D animations. That being said, every case is different and the parameters will vary widely based on the subject-matter that needs to be demonstrated.

Remember, your audience needs to see to believe! We encourage you to contact us at (216) 502-0400 to learn more about what visuals can do to boost your legal argument. Do not delay so we have the most time possible to build a successful, persuasive case for your client and you avoid any additional fees!