Fees for experts vary nationally. It would appear, though there is no statistical evidence which MEC has to support this impression, that it varies with the cost of living in the area where the expert is located. MEC handles over 1200 maritime and marine pollution experts and has a general feel for the fees, but the National Forensic Center in Lawrenceville, NJ, has taken a poll of their experts and publishes an annual Guide to Expert Fees.
The 1989 Guide indicates that Naval Architects acerage $90 per hour for Trial Preparation with a high of $200 and a low of $50 per hour. Their fees for Court Testimony and Depositions average $100 per hour and range from $50 to $150 per hour.
Mechanical engineers fees have a wider spread, avergaing $90 per hour for reports and trial preparation with a high of $200 and a low of $45 per hour. Their fees for court tesimony average $110 per hour with a high of $225 and a low of $45 per hour while deposition fees average $100 per hour with a high of $200 and a low of $45.
It has been the experience of MEC that generally the more experienced experts will, quite understandably, have high fees.
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