In May 1987 plaintiff, Robert Smith, entered into a joint venture with defendant, Thomas Scott, to operate a business known as S & S Pawn Shop in Shreveport.1 Plaintiffs initial investment was $10,000. The exact nature of each party’s interest in the venture was never clear. In December 1987 both plaintiff and defendant decided to terminate their business association effective December 31, 1987. Both parties claimed that a verbal agreement was reached for the dissolution of the venture but later disagreed on its terms. Plaintiff contended that defendant was to purchase his interest for $22,500. Defendant maintained that the only agreement was to pay back plaintiffs initial investment of $10,-000. In July 1988 plaintiff filed this lawsuit in part for breach of the verbal agreement to buy his interest for $22,500. The trial court found in favor of plaintiff in the amount of $22,500 subject to credits of $7,000. Specifically, the court noted that plaintiff met his burden of proof under LSA-C.C. Art. 1846 through his own testimony and the corroborating testimony of Robert Foley, a forensic document examiner retained by plaintiff.
DISCUSSION
LSA-C.C. Art. 1846 provides that a verbal contract of a value of more than $500 must be proven by at least one witness and other corroborating circumstances. A party may offer his own testimony but to be successful must present other circumstances corroborating his claim. Kethley v. Draughon Business College, 535 So.2d 502 (La.App. 2d Cir.1988).
Plaintiff testified that defendant agreed to pay him $22,500 for his interest. On the other hand defendant testified the amount was $10,000. In furtherance of the agreement, plaintiff was given a check from defendant for $4,000 with a written notation of a $16,000 balance. Plaintiff testified to changing the “6” to an “8” to show the balance to be $18,000. The check was offered as an exhibit to corroborate plaintiffs testimony.
Defendant testified that he instructed his step-son to issue the check in question for $4,000 with the written notation that a balance remained of $6,000. Defendant’s step-son supported this testimony and stated that he wrote the check noting a $6,000 balance not $16,000.
The trial commenced June 23, 1989 and continued on June 29 and December 13, 1989. Although the parties had stated at a pretrial conference that no expert witnesses would be used, plaintiff hired Robert Foley on June 28, 1989 as a forensic document examiner. On June 29, 1989 Mr. Foley testified for plaintiff as a rebuttal witness. Defendant objected on the basis of the pretrial agreement and claimed surprise. The trial court allowed Mr. Foley’s testimony.
Foley testified that he examined and analyzed the check in dispute and determined that all the numbers in the notation area were written at the same time and the balance stated was $16,000 not $6,000. The “8” written by plaintiff was in a different color ink and clearly superimposed over the “6” at a different time.
At the close of Foley’s direct testimony the trial judge rendered an interim order and left to attend a judges’ meeting. Defendant was not given the opportunity to cross-examine Foley that day and objected. The trial did not continue until December 13, 1989 due to the serious illness of defendant’s attorney.
On November 15, 1989 plaintiff filed a rule to show cause why defendant should not be found in contempt of court for his failure to comply with the trial court’s interim order. The rule was returnable on November 22, 1989. On that date, defen*811dant’s original attorney withdrew due to illness and present counsel enrolled and filed a motion for continuance. On November 29, 1989 the case was called and reset for December 18. Between November 29 and December 13, defendant’s new attorney contacted a forensic document examiner from Georgia.
On December 13, 1989 defendant requested a continuance because his recently hired expert would not be able to appear on that date. The continuance request was denied, but more importantly, the following occurred between the defendant’s attorney and the court:
“Mr. Sutton: This is on another thing. I insist on cross examining Mr. Foley.
The Court: I told you I would permit you to cross examine Mr. Foley if you had paid his way over here, just as the other counsel had already done at the time we had already met.
The Court: ... I did tell you that you would be able to bring Mr. Foley over at your expense, just as the other counsel did, at his expense, and be able to cross examine him if you wish. In addition to that, I will permit you to put in evidence any documents, reports or whatever that your man (expert) in Georgia will send to you.”
Mr. Sutton: At this point, I would call Mr. Robert Foley on cross examination. I assume Mr. Foley is in the courtroom. The Court: Not unless you contacted him. I told you to contact him and get him over here at your expense.”
Mr. Foley was not in court and therefore never cross-examined. The trial court specifically mentioned its acceptance of Foley’s opinion as an essential element of proof in plaintiff’s case. It is fundamental in our system of justice that the necessity of testing evidence by cross-examination is a vital feature of the law. Our system believes that no safeguard for measuring the value of testimony is comparable to that furnished by cross-examination. The cross-examination of a witness at a civil trial is an essential part of our adversarial system of justice. The trial court does have the right to control the nature, extent and character of cross-examination but a litigant may not be denied the procedural right to cross-examine witnesses in the interest of judicial economy or other well-intentioned motives. Labadot v. Labadot, 328 So.2d 747 (La.App. 4th Cir.1976).
The trial court effectively denied defendant the opportunity to cross-examine Robert Foley and to test the value of his expert opinion. Foley was plaintiff’s expert who had completed his direct examination when the court recessed for approximately five months. Defendant can not be expected to pay for his right to cross-examine this witness. The requirement of the trial court for defendant to pay in advance for the return of plaintiff’s expert to complete his testimony effectively denied the opportunity for cross-examination contrary to Art. 607 of the Louisiana Code of Evidence. The fact that the defendant was allowed to file the report of his expert over plaintiff’s objection does not cure this error. Without cross-examination, the trial court could not properly weigh the evidence and determine its value.
Having concluded that this judgment must be reversed and remanded for further proceedings, the other issues raised on appeal need not be considered.
DECREE
For the reasons stated herein, the judgment of the trial court in favor of plaintiff is REVERSED and this matter is hereby REMANDED to the trial court for the purpose of allowing the cross-examination of Robert Foley and the presentation by either side of evidence that relates to that cross-examination. Further, defendant’s expert’s report will not be allowed absent an agreement by plaintiff, although such expert can testify. Costs of this appeal are assessed to plaintiff.
MARVIN, C.J., concurs and assigns written reasons.
HIGHTOWER, J., concurs for those reasons assigned by MARVIN, J.
