How Do I Find a Handwriting Expert Near Me?
No matter where you live, there is a qualified forensic handwriting expert who can serve your case, and thanks to Zoom testimony and digital document submission, that expert doesn’t have to be in your city, or even your state.
Let’s walk through that and see what kind of handwriting expert you do need, because I can help you decide if you need to get someone local or if you need to get the best that you can afford, even if that person’s in another city.
What Is a Forensic Document Examiner?
A forensic handwriting expert is also called a Certified Forensic Document Examiner. That’s the term that attorneys actually look for.
If a handwriting expert is called in a trial, they must be designated by the judge as a qualified forensic document examiner for their opinion to be considered.
The term “handwriting expert” is a catch-all term for someone who is an expert at examining handwriting. However, many aspects of handwriting expertise, such as examining and analyzing the psychology behind handwriting, don’t really pertain to most legal cases.
A forensic document examiner is an expert in handwriting, specifically as it relates to legal processes. They write legal reports, give expert testimony, and know the standards for expressing certainty in a professional opinion. If you’re dealing with a forgery or anything heading to court, a certified forensic document examiner—not just a “handwriting expert”—is what you need.
If you’re reading this, you’ve already found one, but here’s how to evaluate whether any examiner is the right fit for your specific case. I’ve been doing this for 30 years, and I have a team of other certified document examiners who work with us in different cities around the country, helping serve the entire U.S. and many foreign countries.
So, finding a certified expert or forensic document examiner near you really comes down to searching, making a few phone calls, and asking some key questions.
What Are the Key Questions to Ask When Hiring a Forensic Examiner?
Once you have a list of people perceived as qualified, you need to ask some questions.
- How many times have you gone to court?
- What’s your training?
- What’s your basis of opinion?
- How long have you been doing this?
- Has there been any time when a judge has not found you qualified?
That’s an important question because if someone’s been to court 10 times but only qualified 5 times, it suggests they may not be the best candidate for the job.
Can Anyone Call Themselves a Forensic Document Expert?
Unfortunately, there are people who put themselves out there as experts but never really complete their training.
We run something called the International School of Forensic Document Examination. We’ve had hundreds of students over the years, and many of them have quit for various reasons. Life gets in the way. Some of them are out there working. They never got certified. I won’t name names. The point is that not everyone who presents themselves as an expert has actually completed their training or earned their certification.
Ask to see their CV—their curriculum vitae, which is essentially a professional resume—before committing to hire them.
What Is the Best Way to Search Online for Document Examiners?
One of the easiest ways is to go to a directory. Handwritingexperts.com is a directory that I list myself on, as well as some of the experts in our offices.
You can also call our office directly, even if you don’t live near our main office. We will refer you to somebody in another city if it’s required.
How Do I Know If I Need to Hire a Local Handwriting Expert?
It depends on the case.
Here’s when you want somebody local or semi-local: if you are dealing with a trust and a will, then in most cases, you’ll need the expert to go to court, schedule an appointment with the clerk at the probate department, and look at that will and testament with a microscope, with a scanner, with light boxes, and with tools that you don’t have.
So, as great as it is that you take a picture with your iPhone, that may not be good enough to create a reliable testimony on whether or not that last will and testament is authentic.
When Is It OK to Hire a Handwriting Expert Who Lives in Another State?
However, if you don’t have a wet signature and you don’t have a will and testament, you could get someone from New York to help you with your California case. You could get someone from Michigan to help you with your Texas case.
It’s not so important that they are geographically close. About half of our cases are handled with high-resolution scans and PDF files; we write reports and never even meet the client face-to-face.
We have attorneys who work from LA, Dallas, Miami, and New York. They love working with us. It’s just that they don’t have a case where we have to physically look at a document.
Can I Hire an Out-of-Town Expert If My Original Document Is Filed With a Local Court?
Yes! In fact, I’m on a case like that right now. As I write this, I’m in San Diego reviewing 50 pages of a last will and testament held in the county records office. This is a case that required me to travel specifically because the physical document needed to be examined in person.
That’s required because, in this case, there was not only the handwriting in question but also the paper, the paper holes, and the paper’s age. Was something swapped out? Was it not swapped out?
There are a lot of things you can see in person that you couldn’t see on a scan or photocopy.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Handwriting Expert?
Cases that require travel are much more expensive. But if you have a case worth a million dollars, it makes sense to spend 10, 20, or $30,000 on an attorney and an expert witness. However, if you’re fighting over a $100 increase in your rent, it’s not worth the money. You can’t do it that way.
Basically, when you talk about how to find a handwriting expert, you probably should have a conversation with someone like me or someone who’s very educated in this field. Any staff member in any reliable forensic handwriting office can help you sort through what you need.
What you need will also dictate how long it takes and how much it costs. You know, prices these days range from a few thousand to $10,000 or $20,000, depending on how complicated your case is. There’s really no easy answer to how much it costs. It depends on many outside factors.
Hopefully, reading this has given you a better understanding of what to look for and how to ask for help finding the best expert you can afford for your case.
Finding the right handwriting expert starts with knowing what questions to ask, and now you do. If you’d like a referral to a qualified forensic document examiner in your area, or if you’re not sure whether your case requires someone local, reach out to us at handwritingexpertusa.com. We’ll point you in the right direction.
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
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: What is a forensic document examiner?
A1: A Certified Forensic Document Examiner is a court-qualified specialist who provides expert testimony on handwriting and document authenticity. They write legal reports, understand the legal standards for opinion certainty, and have experience testifying in court proceedings.
Q2: What questions should I ask before hiring a forensic document examiner?
A2: Ask how many times they have testified in court, whether a judge has ever found them unqualified, what their training and basis of opinion are, and how long they have been practicing. Always request their CV (curriculum vitae) to verify their credentials before hiring.
Q3: Do I need to hire a local forensic document examiner?
A3: Not always. If an original document must be physically examined—such as a will held in a probate court—a local or semi-local expert is strongly preferred. However, many cases can be handled remotely using high-resolution scans and PDFs, allowing you to hire the most qualified expert regardless of location.
Q4: How much does it cost to hire a forensic document examiner?
A4: Costs vary based on case complexity. Remote cases may cost a few thousand dollars, while complex cases requiring travel and in-person document inspection can range from $10,000 to $20,000 or more. Cases that involve physical travel to a court or records office are significantly more expensive.
