A lot of people want to know how to become a forensic expert.

The truth is, there are very few ways to become one.

When I was coming up, you had to do a mentorship. After you completed ycour studies of handwriting analysis, you had to find a working forensic document examiner and work for them to get your training in the legal side document analysis.

Unfortunately, it was very hard to find a mentorship unless you were already in the FBI.

Up until the mid-90s, there was really not even an education or a university that offered classes.

That’s why, in 2006, I started a school called the International School of Forensics – because no other schools or classes existed.

We’ve trained hundreds of people around the world in forensic handwriting analysis. Some of them went on to work for the government in the country of Turkey or the country of India.

Most of them went on to work independently.

My school, the International School of Forensics, has about a two-year curriculum.

But on top of completing your studies and receiving your certification, I do think an internship is key.

If you look at all the documents from the forensic and handwriting analysis associations, they really recommend that you have both incredible training and that you have your eyes tested regularly to be able to qualify and renew the yearly certifications they give examiners.

To be a member of some of these associations, it is required to work side-by-side with an already recognized examiner in a government lab, which is very difficult to do if you don’t work for the government.

If you don’t work for the government, then you’re not going to be recognized by any organizations with other government examiners.

In short, it’s kind of hard to get trained as a handwriting expert, particularly a legal handwriting expert.

And we only have classes every couple of years because it is expensive. It’s time-consuming.

And after you are certified, essentially you are your own businessperson.

Once you finally get certified, you have to then learn the business of getting clients, taking clients, testifying, organizing, managing a team, et cetera.

This is a lot to figure out as you go- not only do you have to become an entrepreneur and figure out how to market your business;

You also have to become a manager if you want to take on multiple clients at once to make your certification properly- which means you have to manage a team, delegate, train your employees in labeling and handling legally significant documents, handle payroll, and budget for your employees;

And you have to become skilled and experienced at the legal side of the business, which is working with attorneys and giving excellent and persuasive testimony on the witness stand and in your legal reports and opinions.

It is a good business. It’s a profitable business, but it’s also a difficult business.

A lot of people have taken our classes and decided that they didn’t like the cross-examination. They didn’t like all the difficult attorneys.

But they liked the work itself, because the work is like solving a puzzle. You’re looking at evidence. You’re trying to figure out who, if anybody, is lying and what’s a false document.

If you’re interested in that, we don’t have class all the time. We’re on a waiting list. We have the International School of Forensic Document Examination (you can visit the website at internationalschool.us)

There are about 14 to 15 videos there that I recorded. If you like those videos and you go through all 15 of them, you’ll like the two-year program because a lot of the training is me, plus the teachers I hired and trained and our faculty.

If you watch all those videos and you’re like, “This is boring, I don’t want to answer phone calls and deal with people’s suicide notes and wills and testaments,” then it’s not for you.

The way you do it is you’ve got to get a mentor. You’ve got to have a curriculum. You have to take proficiency tests to pass them. And really, the golden ticket is that at some point, the judge turns you in and says, “OK, I believe you are an expert. I would like to hear your opinion.”

That is how you become a handwriting expert.

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Bart Baggett
The Nation’s Leading Forensic Handwriting Expert
CEO of Handwriting Experts Inc.
Forensic Document Examiner • Expert Witness • Legal Consultant
“We solve million dollar forgery cases.”

Telephone: 1-800-980-9030

YouTube: @thehandwritingexpert
LinkedIn: bartbaggett
Facebook: bartbaggett
https://www.instagram.com/forensichandwritingexpert
https://www.tiktok.com/@handwritingexpertsinc
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FAQ
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Q1: How long does it take to become a certified handwriting expert?
A: The International School of Forensic Document Examination offers a two-year curriculum leading to certification. Beyond coursework, an internship working alongside a recognized examiner is strongly recommended.

Q2: Do I need to work for the government to become a handwriting expert?
A: Not necessarily, though some professional associations require candidates to work alongside a government-recognized examiner in a government lab, which can be difficult to arrange outside of government employment.

Q3: What kind of work does a certified handwriting expert do?
A: Handwriting experts examine documents to identify forgeries and falsified signatures, provide written legal opinions, and deliver expert witness testimony in court proceedings.

Q4: How do handwriting experts find clients after becoming certified?
A: Certified examiners typically work independently. They must develop skills in marketing their practice, managing client cases, working with attorneys, and delivering persuasive testimony on the witness stand.