Expert Witness Gateway offers a fairer, lower-cost route to expert witness instruction

Expert Witness Gateway is calling for greater transparency, fairness and cost control in the way expert witnesses are instructed across UK litigation.

Recent legal commentary has highlighted judicial scrutiny of medical reporting organisation mark-ups, following the decision in JXX v Archibald [2026] EWHC 630 (SCCO), where the recoverable medical reporting organisation mark-up was capped at 25% of the expert’s invoice. Reporting on the case has noted that while a higher mark-up is not necessarily unreasonable, only 25% was found to be recoverable between the parties.

The decision has already prompted changes within the expert witness market. The Expert Witness Institute has reported that one medical reporting organisation responded by introducing a 15% service charge, plus VAT, on expert invoices, deducted from payments made to experts rather than invoiced separately. The article reported that this was introduced following the judgment, with the stated position that operating under a 25% recoverability cap made the existing model commercially difficult.

Expert Witness Gateway has been built on a different principle.

The Gateway does not charge experts to register, create a profile, receive enquiries or use the portal. Experts remain in control of their own profile, availability and professional fees. They set their own rates and are not asked to pay service charges, subscription fees, enrolment fees or deductions from their expert fee for using the system.

For solicitors and instructing parties, the Gateway has set low commission rates, designed to reduce the overall cost of instruction when compared with traditional agency models. This means legal teams can access the same calibre of expert evidence through a more transparent, structured and cost-effective process.

Unlike traditional agency-led models, the Gateway allows solicitors and experts to connect directly within each case. Both parties work from the same case information in real time, supported by a structured case management system that keeps instructions, documents, deadlines, quotes, messages and reports in one secure place.

Built-in tools include instant expert CV and quote generation, secure document upload and exchange, real-time case chat, case timelines, deadline tracking, availability management, report upload, invoice support, auditability and structured case records. The system has been designed to support workflows that reflect the duties placed on expert witnesses under the relevant procedural rules.

Dr Russell Keenan, Director of Expert Witness Gateway, said:

“The recent scrutiny of agency mark-ups raises important questions about cost, transparency and who ultimately bears the burden of commercial changes in the expert witness market.

Our position is simple. Experts should not have to pay to access instructions or use a portal to manage their professional work. They should remain in control of their profile, fees and availability.

At the same time, solicitors need a clear, efficient and lower-cost route to expert evidence. The Gateway brings both sides into the same structured case environment, so the solicitor and expert work from the same information, in real time. That improves clarity, reduces duplication and supports a more accountable instruction process.”

Expert Witness Gateway is open to medical and non-medical experts across a broad range of disciplines, including clinical negligence, personal injury, family proceedings, criminal matters, immigration, coronial work and other specialist areas.

Experts can register free of charge, and solicitors can use the Gateway to manage their instructions, be matched with suitable experts and generate quotes securely through the platform.