What Does a Handwriting Expert Actually Do?
Great question. And it’s interesting since I’ve been in this business for 30 years. The word “Handwriting Expert” actually has two meanings to the average person you talk to. Some people go, “Oh, that’s the guy I see on CSI: Miami,” or “That’s the guy I see on Larry King talking about a forgery or a note or a ransom note.” And they are experts in detecting forgeries and lies in courts. And that is a handwriting expert. That’s called a forensic handwriting expert. The right name is forensic document examiner, meaning they examine documents, not just the handwriting.
And then the other side of a handwriting expert is someone who can understand handwriting for psychological, human resources, or maybe therapy purposes, or even personal development. There are a lot of great books and very interesting methodologies about how handwriting, physiology, even Parkinson’s, and different diseases come from handwriting. That is also loosely known as a handwriting expert.
So you need to decide, are you looking for personality or marriage compatibility? That would probably be more of a graphologist, graphotherapist, or graph analyst. And the technical word for a handwriting expert for forgery would be “document examiner” or “forensic document examiner.”
So most of our business comes from attorneys who are trying to solve million-dollar problems. They need a forensic expert witness, a forensic handwriting expert, or a forensic document examiner to come look at documents and decide the truth. Did this person really die and leave everything to their mistress? Or do all the kids say, “Wait a second, we don’t even know this guy. This isn’t his mistress. This is his mate. This is odd.” We have to solve that problem. And so that’s a document examination problem. And we need to solve that problem.
So that is the truth about what the word “handwriting expert” really means? What a Forensic Handwriting Expert does is they’re a detective using documents and handwriting as the evidence. We’re looking for the truth, the source, the one who made it, why they made it, how they made it, whose handwriting is on it, when it was made, and what paper it was on. All that stuff can help the narrative because the judge in the case is trying to make a decision. Who do I believe? This brother here or this person here? Let’s say this is the brother or sister fighting over a million-dollar estate.
This brother says, “Hey, I haven’t seen my dad in 20 years, but I know he wouldn’t give everything to my sister.” The sister says, “Look, I took care of him for the last 20 years, and he did give everything to me, and here’s this will, which I couldn’t find, but I found it. It was in the back of my car. Oh my God, I’m so lucky.” Did that exist, or did he die intestate? “Intestate” means without a written will. So that’s what a handwriting expert does.
So make sure you know the difference. A Forensic Handwriting Expert is the same as a Forensic Document Examiner. And then a handwriting expert might also be a psychological assessment tool used for HR and personal development.
My name is Bart Baggett. If you want more information, or if our staff can help you answer questions about your legal case, give us a call. Our expert website is handwritingexperts.com or handwritingexpertusa.com. We have locations all over the US, and we’ll be glad to help.
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
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FAQ SECTION
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Q1: What is the difference between a forensic document examiner and a graphologist?
A: A forensic document examiner analyzes handwriting and documents to detect forgeries and serve as an expert witness in legal cases. A graphologist uses handwriting analysis for psychological assessment, HR screening, or personal development purposes.
Q2: What types of cases does a forensic handwriting expert typically work on?
A: Forensic handwriting experts most commonly work with attorneys on high-value cases involving disputed wills, forged signatures, and other document fraud matters where a judge must determine the authenticity of written evidence.
Q3: What does a forensic document examiner investigate when reviewing a document?
A: They investigate who created the document, when it was made, what paper was used, the source of the handwriting, and whether the document is authentic — providing the court with the evidence needed to resolve disputes.
Q4: Is a forensic handwriting expert the same as a forensic document examiner?
A: Yes. The terms are interchangeable. Both refer to a professional who examines documents and handwriting as evidence in legal proceedings to help determine truth and authenticity.
