Locating testifying experts for attorneys can add a huge amount of revenue to your legal nurse consulting business. As part of the screening process, Certified Legal Nurse Consultants research the background of the potential expert witness candidates. Most people just get on the web and start Googling or binging away with variations of the name of the unsuspecting searchee. Some will go to social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn to see what can be learned about the search subject.

But it gets better after you’re finished with this blog. People like our Chief Techie Blogger, Tom, have long known and used the so-called “invisible Internet” to discover information. Today, the average Certified Legal Nurse Consultant has those same tools (some of them anyway) at their fingertips. By using these new tools, you can learn more about a search subject than the subject knows about themselves!

How? Using one of the new “deep-web” search engines. Sites like Spokeo.com, CVGadget.com, Spock.com and Pipl.com will all give you more information than is typically available through a regular search engine. Depending upon the site or service, they’ll search not only the social networking sites but also look for things like the wish lists and reviews a person posts on Amazon.com. They also search blog postings and comments associated with the person’s name and can even look for anything associated with a person’s email address. This includes photos the search subject posted on Flickr or that have been tagged with the subject’s name (these can be quite revealing). Some of the search sites will give you basic information and then “default” to the public information sites that sell information while others provide it for free.

Whether you’re searching for information on a potential expert witness, future attorney-prospect or just your daughter’s prom date, “deep-web” search engines can reveal more information than most people know is out there.

I’ve recommended in past blogs that every legal nurse consultant search for variations on their own names at least once a month. Now you should add a few more searches using a “deep-web” tool and if necessary, take steps to remove any potentially damaging or incorrect information. Remember, while you’re searching for information on other people, they may be searching for the same about you.

To paraphrase one of my favorite lines from the movies, “Here’s looking for you, kid.”

Success Is Inside (and the truth is out there)!

Vickie,

I was hired by an attorney to locate a testifying expert. When I sent the contract to the attorney to sign, he sent it back requesting that I put the plaintiff’s name in the contract instead of his. I learned in the CLNC^® Certification Program that the contract is always between the law firm and me and that is how I have always done it. Should I consider his request or stick with the way I was taught?

Leann E., RN, CLNC

Hi Leann,

You are absolutely correct. Stick with the way you were taught. The contract should always be between you and the attorney, never with the plaintiff or defendant. Contact the attorney and politely emphasize that your contract has to be with the attorney, not the plaintiff and that all invoices will be submitted to and paid by the attorney. Communicate that your standard business practice is to collect a retainer check for the amount of your location fee and the signed contract. Upon receipt of both, you will begin work to locate a testifying expert.

Success Is Inside!

Vickie

P.S. The new CLNC^® Certification Program catalog has just been mailed. If you did not receive it, please call my office at 800.880.0944.

P.P.S. Great news! We have renegotiated lower hotel room rates for our 2009 CLNC^® 6-Day Certification Seminars. Call 800.880.0944 for details.