All About Forensic Handwriting Experts

A forensics team can consist of a wide variety of different disciplines depending on what the team’s goal is – whether it is to solve crimes or to prevent them. Some types of forensics disciplines are commonly known, but you may not know that there are also forensic handwriting experts. Here is some information for what you can expect from a forensic handwriting expert in San Diego.

What Are They?

The first question may be what a forensic handwriting expert is. These experts work with attorneys, public defenders, police departments, investigators, banks, insurance companies and other private companies, and they can provide many different services depending on what their employer needs. Where some of these employers focus on finding a suspect in a crime or proving a suspect innocent or guilty, some of them focus on preventing a crime by using the handwriting analysis to ensure that documentation is being signed by the right person and not forged.

Services

There is a range of services a handwriting expert may perform. They can use handwriting comparison to authenticate documents, comparing the signors signatures to ensure that the same person signed all of the documents. They can also compare documents that were made on the computer, and they can more easily identify if a document has been altered with the use of photocopies. If material has been entered or substituted after the original was made, a forensic handwriting expert in San Diego will be able to notice this, as well. Some experts can even look at material that was covered up by whiteout or otherwise destroyed, to give an estimate of what that material originally was. All of these things can be used to prevent fraud as well as prevent the forging or altering of official documents or contracts between people.

Types of Documents

You may be wondering what kinds of documents a forensic handwriting expert may commonly look at. Some experts may focus on counterfeit documents and forged checks. These experts work well with banks to ensure that someone cashing or depositing a large check actually has access to that money, or if a large check was deposited and the person who signed it claims they didn’t write it, it can be investigated. Handwriting experts can also look at wills and contracts to ensure that signatures weren’t forged and wording wasn’t changed after the draft was finalized. Anonymous letters may be investigated in cases where someone is being blackmailed, and medical documents such as prescriptions and authorizations may be examined in the case of a medical malpractice suit. Oftentimes, these experts can provide expert testimony in the cases they helped research for. They can prepare exhibits for the testimony, as well as perform research and consult with other experts in forensics.

If you feel you need a defender with handwriting analysis experience, it is important to look into a forensic handwriting expert in San Diego to meet your needs. A quick search can pull up results of your options in the area, and you can use testimonies as well as consider your budget to choose the expert that is right for your case.