Legal graphic services are one of the best modern methods for attorneys to maximize the settlement or verdict for their clients. With a complex civil case, a PowerPoint with bullet points of text might not be enough to guide your audience through your argument. If you have intricate expert witness testimony, then a visual is even more critical.
But with so many providers to choose from and legal visual options to browse, how can you start?
Ask yourself, “What is the knowledge I want my audience to leave this room with?” A visual is the perfect method of delivering that data — especially in cases with medical or mechanical jargon.
There are four main questions to keep in mind when choosing legal graphic services for your case. In this blog post, we’ll explore each of these questions in detail.
How Long Do Legal Visuals Take to Create?
Depending on the complexity of your case, a graphic might take less time to create than a legal animation. If your case is on a tight schedule, it might be beneficial to work with an expert forensic animation studio to generate several still images.
Unsure what you need to get started? Download this free checklist to help you prepare your case for critical dates.
For many civil cases that involve accident reconstruction or medical injuries, a forensic animation is the best visual to have. On the other hand, a medical illustration would not require the use of complex 3D animation software. This means less time would be needed to create that type of asset.
For example, this scientifically accurate animation would take longer to create than only one or a few still images. It would certainly engage the jury while explaining the key details of your case, but if you need a visual now, then a legal graphic is your best option.
Do They Work With My Budget?
There is a range of data visualization options that can fit into almost any case’s budget. However, legal animations are virtually always more complex, and therefore are more expensive, than legal graphics. They tend to cover many perspectives, have real-world physics incorporated into it, and can be several minutes long, and thus generally are more costly.
That’s why legal graphic services can better serve cases with a limited budget. Since a law graphic is an image, not a fully 3D rendered video, it’s considerably easier to produce and thus more economical.
A full 3D legal animation can take up to six to twelve weeks to develop, but a still can be created even faster than that. Whether you are entering mediation or are preparing to go to trial, a graphic has more flexibility to work with your case’s budget and timeline.
Are Legal Graphic Services Helpful in Trial or Mediation?
Mediation is the perfect time for legal graphics. If you have a detailed graphic ready, it demonstrates how prepared you are to proceed to trial. This is especially true if the opposing party does not have a still of their own.
Additionally, the opposing party might settle faster once they see you are prepared for trial. One civil attorney procured our medical graphic services, and after presenting various medical visuals, managed to settle mediation discussions in one day.
Sample 2D Courtroom Graphic from Courtroom Animation
If your case has progressed to trial, legal graphics can help the jury remember your core argument. An attorney will have a better chance helping a jury accurately determine liability if the jury understands exactly what occurred. For example, a visual can explain:
- The affected anatomy in a personal injury
- Technical data from medical scans
- How a car crash occurred
A law graphic also helps you empathize with the jury. You know your case and its every detail, but they might not understand the inner workings of it without a visual. Overall, if you help create a courtroom graphic with their needs in mind, it will help you clarify the key parts you need to convey.
What Should I Watch Out For in Law Graphic Proposals?
Inexperience
To ensure admissibility, your partner should be an expert at conveying complex data in a scientifically accurate way. They also should have experience working in legal cases. Many designers and animators, while potentially talented, have only limited experience in these areas. This can hold you back from achieving your desired verdict or settlement.
No rates
Freelancers might charge an hourly rate and not disclose the estimated total price of your animation. While different professionals rarely have the same methods, it’s uncommon for them to not have any rates listed. This can cause an unnecessary surprise about the total amount for your trial exhibit.
Sample 3D Medical Graphic from Courtroom Animation
Hefty change order fees
Change orders are a common occurrence during the animation process. Your argument might change before the mediation discussions, or maybe new evidence came to light that needs to be addressed.
No matter what the situation is, your legal graphic services proposal should be as thorough as you can make it.
Do You Feel Prepared to Choose Legal Graphic Services?
A quality courtroom graphic will boost your core argument to the opposing counsel and other legal parties. It’s important to ensure that the studio you partner with has experience and collaborates with you every step of the way.
If you needed a trial exhibit yesterday, then know that a legal graphic takes less time to create than a lengthy legal animation. Since legal videos and stills have a range of color, depth, and detail, they are perfect for almost any client budget as well as any time crunch.
Remember, it does not matter if your case is in trial or mediation — a legal graphic can help you receive a more favorable verdict or settlement.
“Courtroom Animation was instrumental in our ability to show the experimental nature of the procedure. Their ability to create the rendering of the [medical] animation helped the mediator understand our case and enabled our expert to walk the mediator through the procedure step by step…”
– Michael Grieco, Romanucci & Blandin Law Firm
At Courtroom Animation, our litigation graphics have sustained a 99% admittance rate and have worked with over 2,000 cases. We have helped civil attorneys win over $1 billion in results, and even created a free eBook to share our industry knowledge, “The Complete Introduction to Forensic Animation.”
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