▁ ▁England ▁and ▁Wales ▁ ▁In ▁England ▁and ▁Wales , ▁under ▁the ▁Civil ▁Pro cedure ▁R ules ▁( CP R ), ▁an ▁expert ▁witness ▁is ▁required ▁to ▁be ▁independent ▁and ▁address ▁his ▁or ▁her ▁expert ▁report ▁to ▁the ▁court . ▁A ▁witness ▁may ▁be ▁joint ly ▁instruct ed ▁by ▁both ▁sides ▁if ▁the ▁parties ▁agree ▁to ▁this , ▁especially ▁in ▁cases ▁where ▁the ▁li ability ▁is ▁relatively ▁small . ▁ ▁Under ▁the ▁C PR , ▁expert ▁witness es ▁may ▁be ▁instruct ed ▁to ▁produce ▁a ▁joint ▁statement ▁detail ing ▁points ▁of ▁agreement ▁and ▁disag re ement ▁to ▁assist ▁the ▁court ▁or ▁trib unal . ▁The ▁meeting ▁is ▁held ▁quite ▁independently ▁of ▁instruct ing ▁law y ers , ▁and ▁often ▁ass ists ▁in ▁resolution ▁of ▁a ▁case , ▁especially ▁if ▁the ▁exper ts ▁review ▁and ▁modify ▁their ▁opinions . ▁When ▁this ▁happens , ▁substantial ▁trial ▁costs ▁can ▁be ▁saved ▁when ▁the ▁parties ▁to ▁a ▁dispute ▁agree ▁to ▁a ▁settlement . ▁In ▁most ▁systems , ▁the ▁trial ▁( or ▁the ▁procedure ) ▁can ▁be ▁susp ended ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁allow ▁the ▁exper ts ▁to ▁study ▁the ▁case ▁and ▁produce ▁their ▁results . ▁More ▁frequently , ▁meet ings ▁of ▁exper ts ▁occur ▁before ▁trial . ▁Exper ts ▁charge ▁a ▁professional ▁fee ▁which ▁is ▁paid ▁by ▁the ▁party ▁commission ing ▁the ▁report ▁( both ▁parties ▁for ▁joint ▁instructions ) ▁although ▁the ▁report ▁is ▁addressed ▁to ▁the ▁court . ▁The ▁fee ▁must ▁not ▁be ▁cont ing ent ▁on ▁the ▁outcome ▁of ▁the ▁case . ▁Ex pert ▁witness es