How Long Does a Forensic Handwriting Analysis Case Take?
Once you hire a forensic document examiner, how quickly can you expect results? The honest answer is: it depends almost entirely on you.
In this post, I’ll walk you through what actually happens once you hire us, how long each stage takes, and why rushing the process is almost always a mistake.
What the Work Actually Involves
Generally, the actual work involves labeling, organizing, and scanning. And then if you want a fancy report, you’ve got to take pictures, create exhibits, and label everything. We have staff who help with all that labor. Our staff can spend 18 hours just organizing and labeling the evidence. I personally spend around four hours on the lab work, writing the report, and polishing the final exhibit.
Now, if you’re paying by the hour, it really doesn’t matter how many documents you have or how much quantity you have, because you’re billed by the hour. To put that in perspective, experienced attorneys charge $850 an hour or more. Our support staff costs considerably less, which is why flat-rate or retainer arrangements can work in your favor. But if you are not working with our office, ask whether the experts you hire offer a flat rate or a retainer, and determine which is the least expensive for you in the long run.
The bottom line is you want to hire the best and most qualified expert you can afford for your case. And you want to make sure they’re court-qualified, but you also want to get that evidence into their hands as fast as possible, because the faster we have everything organized, the faster we can turn it around. We tell most of our clients, “Look, if you don’t have court this week, give us three weeks.” We tell most of our clients that if court isn’t imminent, three weeks gives us everything we need to deliver a thorough, polished report. If you’ve got court next week, you’re already behind the eight ball; call someone immediately. We rarely accept cases where the court date is less than two days away.
Most clients are surprised to learn how much of the timeline is in their hands. The single biggest factor in how quickly we can deliver a report is how quickly you can get us organized and provide high-quality evidence.
Why We Don’t Take Rush Cases
And the reason is simple. We don’t even know if we can help you. We’re not going to take your money and guarantee an outcome before we look at the case. We’re independent expert witnesses. We are witnesses who want to articulate the truth. If that truth helps you, great, we’ll go to court. If that truth doesn’t help you and helps your opponent, the person suing you, well, guess what? They’ll never know you hired us. We won’t go to court against you. That’s not the way we do business, but we sure can’t go to bat for you or support you if the case and the data aren’t authentic and aren’t in our hands.
Time is the one thing you can’t get back in a legal case. The sooner you hire your expert and get them the evidence they need, the more thorough—and more defensible—their opinion will be. Don’t wait until you’re behind the eight ball. Reach out to us today at handwritingexpertusa.com.
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
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FAQ
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How long does a forensic handwriting analysis case typically take?
Most cases take approximately three weeks once the examiner has all the evidence organized and in hand. If a court date is imminent, clients should contact an expert immediately to avoid falling behind.
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What factors affect the turnaround time for forensic document examination?
The single biggest factor is how quickly the client provides organized, high-quality evidence. Support staff may spend up to 18 hours organizing and labeling materials before analysis can even begin.
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Will a forensic document examiner accept a rush case?
Most examiners rarely accept cases where the court date is less than two days away. The examiner needs adequate time to evaluate the evidence and determine whether the findings support the client’s position before committing to testify.
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How is forensic handwriting analysis billed?
Examiners may charge by the hour or offer flat-rate or retainer arrangements. Clients should ask which option is most cost-effective for their specific case, particularly when a large volume of documents is involved.
