Main Reasons for Questioned Document Examination

Handwriting Signature Analysis.

There are a number of reasons lawyers and others seeking to verify the validity of a document order a questioned document examination by a forensic document examiner. Most of them involve proving whether a document is written or signed legitimately.

Questioned document examination is often used within the context of the court system. Either side of a civil or criminal court case may need to:

Prove that a document was written or signed by a purported writer

OR

Prove that a document was NOT actually written or signed by a purported writer

In either case, this is accomplished by having an expert in questioned document examination (often referred to as a forensic document examiner) conduct professional handwriting signature analysis. In some cases, other techniques are also used to verify or renounce the legitimacy of a document. These include: examination of the paper and ink; identifying which printer or other office machine was used to produce the document; and even analyzing decoded digital signatures.

Questioned document examination is a skill and an art acquired with a great deal of experience and practice and requires thorough training by a seasoned forensic document examiner. Using an unqualified document examiner can potentially result in the expert being excluded from testimony and the evidence being considered inadmissible in court. If there is a need to prove that a signature or document was (or wasn’t) written by a client, or by the opposing party in a lawsuit, criminal case, or for any other legitimate purpose, you should consult a forensic document examiner for expert handwriting signature analysis.