An effective financial expert witness knows this is the most important factor. While testimony may be founded on substantial financial theory and painstaking research and calculation, the information must be presented in a way the audience comprehends. For financial experts, then, it’s critical to know if a case will be heard before the court or before a jury. Presentation skills, body language, the complexity of the testimony — and to some degree dress — vary significantly depending on the persona of the trier of fact.