Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Hi, my name is Beth Chrisman, and I'm a court qualified forensic document examiner.
Every month, my office gets dozens of phone calls from attorneys and non-attorneys who have
specific questions about how to hire a document examiner, also known as a handwriting expert.
There is a lot of confusion about our career and this video is created to answer some of
those common questions and clarify what we can and cannot do to assist you in your case.
I encourage you to grab a pen and take some notes about what questions you should ask
before you hire them, some practical tips to make the selection process easier and I'll
reveal some pitfalls to avoid. If you are an attorney, you are probably already familiar
with hiring an expert witness for your case. You know that if your case goes to trial,
the credibility and testimony of your expert witness can profoundly influence your case.
This is why choosing the right expert witness is important. Most attorneys have worked with
expert witnesses at some point in their career, but most haven't hired a Forensic Document
Examiner. So, let's begin with your case do you really need "Forensic Document Examiner"?
If your case involves a forged document, a last will and testament, altered contract,
questioned signatures, or you must know where, when and how a document was created you are
looking for a "Forensic Document Examiner". This video shows you how to select the right
one for your particular case. If you are looking for someone to tell personality from handwriting
or analyze your handwriting for hiring purposes, you are not looking for a "Forensic Document
Examiner", you are looking for a Graphologist . But don't worry, most people don't realize
these are two separate disciplines with totally different training and applications. It's
a common confusion. You should know a couple of things before you make your first phone
call to your chosen examiner. 1. How many documents do you need analyzed and an "official
opinion" rendered upon? These are your "questioned documents". If the case involves handwriting
and signatures, you will also need to provide known exemplars of the person to compare them
against. These exemplars are commonly called "Known Handwriting Samples". 2. Does your
case involve ink testing or paper testing, or simply the identity of the person who wrote
the document? Ink and paper testing often starts at $6000 and can be very expensive.
Most cases involve handwritten items from which official opinions can be rendered using
copies, scans, faxes, or personal inspection start at under $600 and up. Here are my Top
Five Key Tips to hiring the right forensic handwriting expert. 1. Training Most respected
document examiners have completed a 2-year apprentice program and have some type of formal
training such as the International School of Forensics, 2-Year Distance Learning Program
or similar structured curriculum. You can easily view an expert s training by viewing
their C.V. (Curriculum Vitae). Just call their office or download a copy from their website.
2. Referral / Reputation Look for real client comments and reviews. If a professional hasn't
posted any positive comments from real clients, perhaps he doesn't have any. Look for reviews
and pay attention to the reputation of the document examiner. Does the media call on
her when news breaks? Have you seen him on TV or in the newspaper? Do attorneys hire
him over and over again? You should see these items posted on their website, look for them.
3. Cost. (Do you want to pay flat rate or hourly rate)? Rates can vary from $125 to
$350 per lab hour, so make sure you are clear on the rate. Most document examiners post
these rates on their "RATE SHEET". Some document examiners charge you a flat rate based on
the number of questioned documents that need to be examined. This is a great option for
those who want to "lock in" your price and have only one or two documents which you think
might be a forgery. There is never a charge for the number of exemplars, just a flat rate
based on the number of "documents in question." Most document examiners in the United States
range from $600 - $1500 for a written opinion of one or two documents. Rates do vary widely
with experience. Attorneys can request a "retainer" against the hourly rate or you can pay the
flat rate, if available. Download the RATE SHEET to avoid any surprises. 5. Court Qualified.
Is your case going to court? Has the expert testified in court before? Usually, any expert
which has already testified has a good chance of testifying again, in any state. But, be
wary of the "expert" who has been disqualified from testifying and investigate why. 6. Location.
Do you have to hire locally? Most people feel they have to hire an expert in their own home
town, but this simply isn't true. Most cases these days can be inspected through scans,
email, faxes and overnight shipping. If there are originals to be examined and the documents
don't travel, then you might incur an additional expense for TRAVEL. But, really, is the cost
of a plane ticket worth the difference between the "best document examiner" versus the "closest
document" examiner? Hire the best and if they live within a few hundred miles of you that
is a perfect combination. 7. Initial Consultation. Have a conversation with the examiner or the
examiner's top staff member. The very best examiners probably have "gate keepers" and
"office assistants" who are well trained to answer questions and get your case started.
In fact, if you find a smart and well-educated office assistant, you've probably found a
smart and well-educated document examiner. Since the busiest document examiners are earning
$300 per hour, don't be surprised if you can't get a "free chat" with them on your initial
phone call. Most will give you a 5 minute consult, if you schedule an appointment, but
be respectful of their time. In most cases, you can get a feel for the expert's charisma,
personality, and professionalism from his staff, website, and Curriculum Vitae. Finally,
I've created a Frequently Asked Questions page at my website which answers in even more
detail other commonly asked questions from clients and prospective clients. I encourage
you to check out this FAQ page or call one of our recommended document examiners and
discuss your case directly. There are many document examiners to choose from and some
are much better than others. If you use the tips given in this video, you will find a
great document examiner. Thanks for watching, and good luck with your document examination case.