Invoice templates for forensic accountants billing solicitors and insurers for fraud investigations, quantum reports, and expert witness services.
A forensic accountant invoice is issued by a specialist forensic accounting firm or individual expert to solicitors, barristers, insurers, regulators, or corporate clients for investigative accounting, quantum of loss calculations, fraud investigations, and expert witness services in legal proceedings. Forensic accountants combine accounting, auditing, and investigative skills to analyse financial data for use in legal disputes. Common engagements include business interruption insurance claims, shareholder disputes, divorce financial proceedings, employment tribunal claims, fraud investigations, asset tracing, and damages quantification in commercial litigation. Most forensic accountants who act as expert witnesses are members of the Expert Witness Institute (EWI) or the Academy of Experts, and their instructions from solicitors are governed by CPR Part 35 (civil proceedings) or similar rules in other jurisdictions. Expert witness reports are a core deliverable and are separately charged from preliminary investigative work.
| Service | Typical Rate | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Partner/director hourly rate | 450 | hour |
| Senior manager hourly rate | 280 | hour |
| Analyst hourly rate | 150 | hour |
| Expert witness report preparation | 450 | hour |
| Court attendance (full day) | 3500 | day |
| Data analytics and software costs | 0 | at cost |
Forensic accountants typically invoice solicitors monthly on a time-and-materials basis. Provide a narrative with each invoice describing the work performed in that period, as solicitors include these invoices in their own file costs and may need to recover them on assessment. For expert witness instructions, separate the preliminary investigation and analysis work from the expert report preparation. The report is a key deliverable and is often invoiced separately with a fixed fee for the report phase. Court attendance fees should be agreed with the instructing solicitor in advance. A full-day court attendance fee is typically substantially higher than the equivalent hourly rate given the exclusive commitment required. Cancel and postponement charges should be in your terms. Fee agreements (including hourly rates) must be disclosed in expert reports under CPR Part 35 requirements. Do not charge contingency fees or success-linked fees for expert witness work, as this compromises independence and is prohibited under the Civil Procedure Rules.