Author Curt Baggett
This question comes up more often than you might expect. Someone signs a document at gunpoint, or under threat, or while being coerced. Can a forensic document examiner look at the signature and tell? The honest answer is no. Not… Continue Reading →
This is one of the most common calls I receive. The family member dies. Someone steps forward with a document that nobody remembers, signed in a way that nobody recognizes, leaving everything to one person instead of the family. Forgery… Continue Reading →
A holographic will is a will written entirely by hand, every word and the signature, by the same person. No typed text. No witnesses required, at least not in most states. Just one person’s handwriting from the first word to… Continue Reading →
The honest answer is: it depends on what you need. For most cases, you are looking at somewhere between $3,000 and $15,000. The lower end covers a straightforward examination, an opinion letter, and testimony if needed. The higher end reflects… Continue Reading →
It is possible. But it is rare. Here is why. My rule is simple: one significant unexplainable difference indicates a forgery. I am not looking for a perfect copy of the original. I am looking for a single thing that… Continue Reading →
If you suspect a document has been forged, the instinct is often to call the police. That is understandable, but it is rarely the right first step. Police need sufficient evidence before they can take a case to a district… Continue Reading →
Can a handwriting expert be wrong? Absolutely. I’ll say that plainly, because it’s the truth, and because honesty is the foundation of everything I do in court. If I’m not willing to admit I can be wrong, why would anyone… Continue Reading →
The short answer is yes. Forensic document examiners are accepted as expert witnesses at every level of the American court system, from local civil disputes to federal criminal trials. I have testified in person in every state in the United… Continue Reading →
People assume that handwriting changes as you age. It is one of the most common misconceptions I encounter. The truth is more precise than that, and it matters enormously in a forensic examination. Handwriting is not handwriting. It is brainwriting…. Continue Reading →
Years ago, the answer was simple: bring me the original. Early photocopies were so poor you could barely make out what you were looking at, let alone conduct a proper examination. That has changed. Today, banks routinely photograph documents rather… Continue Reading →