{"id":2707,"date":"2026-03-18T10:52:52","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T17:52:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bartbaggett.com\/blog\/?p=2707"},"modified":"2026-04-07T18:07:51","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T01:07:51","slug":"can-a-document-examiner-prove-a-last-will-and-testament-is-a-fake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bartbaggett.com\/blog\/can-a-document-examiner-prove-a-last-will-and-testament-is-a-fake\/","title":{"rendered":"[Q37] Can a document examiner prove a last will and testament is a fake?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Can a Document Examiner Prove a Last Will and Testament Is a Fake?<\/strong><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n

Yes, absolutely. My name is Bart Baggett. I’m a forensic document examiner. I’ve trained dozens of people around the world to help them become forensic document examiners as well. And what we do as a profession is determine whether a document is fake.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The last will and testament, along with trust documents and health directives, is how people ensure that, upon their passing, their assets go to the right people. Good estate planning makes that process clear. But when it isn’t clear, or when someone decides to make it unclear, that’s where I come in.<\/p>\n

Why Wills Get Contested<\/h3>\n

The reason I get hired so much for last wills and testaments is that the kids, nephews, ex-girlfriends, and ex-wives are angry, and they’re angry enough to file an injunction and put themselves in front of a judge to say, “I want that person’s stuff. He loved me more.” Sometimes<\/span> children, even second or third generation, say, “Hey, he wrote me this will and cut all of you out. You guys are jerks.” <\/span><\/p>\n

What’s more common is that the person taking care of the old man or the old woman says, “You guys haven’t been around for years. You’re off in South Dakota. You don’t need the money.” It’s a story I hear often: the caregiver who hasn’t been compensated, who feels overlooked, and who convinces themselves they deserve more. And<\/span> so they justify it in their head, creating a fake will and testament. They end up typing “Will” in those documents. There are a lot of things that go awry with wills and testaments.<\/span><\/p>\n