# Answer the new material without rewriting the original report

> An addendum inherits the case. A rebuttal answers the other expert. Both need a short clock.

Source: https://imecore.com/use-cases/addendum-and-rebuttal

## New records arrive and someone forwards the whole file again

Counsel sends a late bundle and asks whether the opinion changes. The original report lives in email. The new pages are not marked. The examiner re-reads the file they already read, or they write a new report that quietly contradicts the first one.

- The original questions and the new questions get mixed.
- Nobody can show which pages are new since the first report.
- The rebuttal restates the whole opinion instead of answering the other expert.
- The trial or hearing date is close and the original case is marked closed.
- Billing treats the addendum as a second full examination.

## What IMECore does about it

### Open it on the same case

An addendum inherits the record set, the original questions, and the original report. You do not re-key the claimant.

### Only the new pages are new

IMECore marks what arrived after the first report. The examiner sees the delta, not a second unsorted dump.

### Addendum and rebuttal are different jobs

An addendum answers new records or new questions. A rebuttal answers another expert. The template headings follow the job you picked.

### The original opinion stays on screen

The examiner writes against the signed report. Contradictions with the first opinion are flagged before release.

### Language that answers, not restates

The reviewer checks the addendum addresses the new material. It should not reprint the original findings.

### A shorter fee on a shorter clock

The quote is an addendum, not a second examination. The case shows the hearing date you are working toward.

## How it runs

1. **Open the addendum on the original case.** Do not create a new file. Inherit the records, the report, and the original questions.
2. **Attach only what is new.** Add the new records or the other expert's report. Confirm the delta list before you brief the examiner.
3. **Ask the new question in writing.** State whether this is an addendum or a rebuttal. Name the question the original report did not cover.
4. **Review against the original opinion.** Check contradictions, then release a short report that links back to the first one.

## Questions people ask

### What is the difference between an addendum and a rebuttal?

An addendum answers new records or a new question from the same party. A rebuttal answers another expert's report. IMECore uses different headings for each.

### Does the same examiner have to write it?

Usually yes for an addendum, because it amends their opinion. A rebuttal can be the same examiner or a new one. Record that choice on the case.

### Do we send the whole file again?

No. The case already holds the original brief. Send the new pages and the original report. Show the examiner what changed.

### Can we add an examination to an addendum?

Yes, if the new question needs one. Book it on the same case. If it is paper-only, keep it a file review.

### How is an addendum billed?

As an addendum, approved before work starts. It is not a second full examination unless you ordered one.