In this episode, the Incredible Witness podcast explores the challenging and often daunting experience of being a witness in court. The host acknowledges that giving evidence can be unfamiliar and potentially traumatic for most people, as it requires stepping outside of one's comfort zone. The episode delves into the skills and preparation needed to provide compelling and convincing evidence as a social work expert witness in family law cases. The importance of thorough assessment, active listening, asking insightful questions, and maintaining a balanced emotional and mental state are highlighted as crucial elements in delivering effective testimony. Listeners are encouraged to embrace the difficulties of giving evidence and strive to improve their abilities in order to navigate the stress and pressure of the witness box.
KEY TAKEAWAYS


Giving evidence in court can be a daunting and potentially traumatising experience for witnesses, as it is often unfamiliar and outside of their comfort zone.


Preparation is crucial when giving evidence, including reviewing your own written evidence as well as the evidence of all parties involved in the case to ensure consistency and avoid any potential weaknesses or contradictions.


Active listening and asking good questions are important skills for social work expert witnesses, as they help gather relevant information and ensure a comprehensive assessment.


It is essential to be aware of your own potential biases and blind spots when assessing families, and to ask yourself important questions about your feelings, observations, and the child's well-being.


Being organized and meticulous in sorting and analyzing the information gathered is necessary to form a clear and comprehensive picture of the child's life and the parent's parenting ability. This includes dissecting details of events and incidents and asking pertinent questions.


 
BEST MOMENTS
"Any witness giving evidence in court or who has given evidence will testify that it is invariably a daunting and exposing experience that most people are unfamiliar with and unsurprisingly are not eager to repeat." 
"Giving evidence and being cross examined is like life itself… in that it is never meant to be easy. It is a test or examination of your evidence that you provide when under very pressurized environments, better known as a stress test of your evidence." 
"In my experience, and I have over 33 years of experience in this area, when given your evidence it represents the culmination of all the work you have undertaken as well as the behavioural events and experiences you have witnessed or been informed of in connection with the person or persons being assessed." 
"Your ability to carefully listen to what you are told whilst assessing a client, whilst being asked questions in the witness box, and to listen to your own voice of intuition throughout are highly valuable skills that need to be honed."
"Offering concise, compelling responses to questions posed to you can only be done when you are in full control of your emotional and mental state… Maintaining a positive attitude and a good measure of control throughout your time in the witness box with regard to your emotional and mental state will help you stand out and your evidence be preferred in the eyes of the judge to the evidence given by others." 
ABOUT THE HOST
familycourtcoaching@gmail.com
Instagram: michael240656
Michael Watson is a qualified social worker and author with over thirty years of experience working with children and families. As an expert in family court, Michael is in a key position to assist, advise, and coach parents through their private law family proceedings and provide them with the information and skills to represent themselves successfully in court. His two books, ‘How to Represent Yourself in Family Court’, and ‘FAMILY COURT: Giving Evidence In Family Court’, provide parents with a clearer understanding of family court proceedings, legislation, and parenti