If you are considering hiring a forensic document examiner, this video helps you know what questions to ask and how to hire the best one for your case.
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How do I Authenticate a Signature?
Authenticating a signature is the process of determining if a signature is real or fake. This is often important when dealing with legal documents, such as a will or a title.
One way to authenticate a signature is by hiring a forensic handwriting expert. These experts can examine the signature and compare it to known samples of the person’s handwriting in order to determine its authenticity.
They may also test the paper and ink used to create the signature in order to further verify its authenticity. It is common for courts to recommend hiring a forensic handwriting expert in cases where the authenticity of a signature or document is in question. This is especially true when there is a lot of money at stake, such as in the case of a large estate being fought over. Hiring a handwriting expert can be a costly process, but it can be well worth it in order to determine the authenticity of a signature or document.
One expert in this field is Bart Baggett, a forensic document examiner who has extensive experience in handwriting analysis and signature authentication. Baggett has written several books on the topic and offers training and consulting services to individuals and organizations. You can reach him at www.handwritingexpertusa.com
How Much Does A Handwriting Expert Cost [Video]
As a lawyer or someone seeking to hire a forensic document examiner, you understand the importance of accurate and reliable analysis. When it comes to selecting the best handwriting expert, cost should not be the main factor. Instead, you should prioritize finding an expert with a proven track record of success and expertise in the field.
Here are a few key points to consider when searching for the best handwriting expert:
- Experience matters: Look for an expert with a strong background in forensic document examination and a history of successful cases. This will ensure that they have the necessary skills and knowledge to provide accurate analysis.
- Reputation is key: Ask for references and read reviews to get a sense of the expert’s reputation in the industry. A well-respected expert is likely to have a wealth of experience and a proven track record of success.
- Specialization is important: Not all handwriting experts are created equal. Some may specialize in specific areas, such as handwriting analysis for legal documents or analyzing forged signatures. Choose an expert who has a specific area of expertise that aligns with your needs.
- Don’t sacrifice quality for cost: While cost is certainly a factor to consider, it should not be the main driving force behind your decision. Cheap options may not necessarily be the best, and an inexperienced or poorly qualified expert could end up costing you more in the long run if their analysis is inaccurate or unreliable.
To give you an idea of what to expect in terms of cost, a handwriting expert may charge an hourly rate or a flat fee for their services. Rates can vary widely depending on the complexity of the case and the expert’s level of experience. In general, you can expect to pay anywhere from $400 to $800 per hour for a highly qualified forensic handwriting expert. Most cases start with a $6000 retainer.
In summary, when it comes to hiring a handwriting expert, it’s important to prioritize quality over cost. Look for an expert with a strong background in forensic document examination, a good reputation, and specialization in the specific area you need. While prices can vary widely, it’s worth investing in a qualified and experienced expert to ensure accurate and reliable analysis.
Baggett gave details on a recent case with 50 different handwriting samples in question. He said “We had a case recently where there were 50 suspects who might or might not have written have mailed some very disturbing letters with handwriting on the outside of two envelopes. They wanted to know which one of the employees’ handwriting was written on the envelopes. Now at first glance, I don’t know if that’s 12 hours of work or 40 hours of work. I just don’t know. The cllient paid a retainer of $12,000. It took about 20 hours to review the handwriting of those 50 suspects. And then, I told the client that I had excluded 45 of the suspects during the first pass. I narrowed it down the 50 to just 5 prime suspects. I then spend another 6 hours determining which one of the 5 suspects wrote the envelopes. By the time we wrote the details 75-page lab report, the retainer was all used up.”
Quote by Bart Baggett, CEO of Handwriting Experts Inc
Some clients prefer to just pay a flat rate rather than worry about being billed hourly. For example, a client could give pay a flat rate of $6000 for two documents. Sometimes, jobs like that are 10 hours of work, sometimes 20 hours. If it takes the expert 10 hours, the client got a really good deal going with the flat rate option as opposed to paying an hourly fee.
If you want to talk about your forensic handwriting case, just go to this website and speak to one of our case consultants. 1-800-980-9030.
Bart Baggett’s office can be reached at the following websites consultants. 1-800-980-9030.
Bart Baggett’s office can be reached at the following websites
https://handwritingexpertdallas.com/
https://californiahandwritingexperts.com/
https://floridahandwritingexperts.com/
What do you do if you think someone Forged Your Parents Last Will and Testament?
The death of your parents is a difficult time. Dealing with the probate court and a possible forged will is also a burden many children across the globe must deal with. This short article tells you how.
If you’re reading this, you’re probably in the unfortunate situation of having one of your parents pass away, and you’re stuck dealing with the last will and testament.
If the signature on the Last Will and Testament or those Trust documents doesn’t look like an authentic signature, this article is for you.
My name is Bart Baggett and my company (Handwriting Experts Inc) http://handwritingexpertusa.com deals with probate cases every day. We deal with signatures, trusts, deeds, and Will.
Oftentimes, it is in the case where someone has passed away and the entire estate rest in the hands of the probate court judge. Your parent’s house, cards, jewelry, and the entire estate can be handed to the idiot step-child if the judge thinks that is the last wishes of your parents.
It’s our burden to figure out our parents’ stuff. And unfortunately, it’s really, really common for brothers, sisters, uncles, and caretakers to forge wills and take everything— and I mean everything!
So, you’re not alone in this situation. And I know it’s confusing. If you’re not an attorney, then this will be very helpful for you. I’ll walk you through how we work with probate cases and how a court-qualified handwriting expert can help you during the process.
At Handwriting Experts Inc., we are document examiners. We take handwriting samples of the decedent—your mom or your dad—and we determine if indeed the will for this person has been forged.
Here are the steps we follow to determine if a Last Will and Testament has been forged.
- Is there a document with the original, or “wet”, signature?
Often times in a probate case, there’s an actual wet, or original, signature sitting at the courthouse with a will. But that’s not always true. If it’s possible to get access to that will, I’ll personally come with my microscope. Or, one of my people will come into the courthouse, take photographs of it, and make sure that it’s a wet signature.
- Compare the signature on the will with other samples of the decedent’s signature.
Next, we’ll compare those signatures to other samples of your parent’s handwriting—their passport, visa, checkbook, birth certificates, wedding certificates, etc. We’ll look for their known handwriting. Your that’s your job is to find their known handwriting. And then, we will compare it.
- Determine if the signature on the will is authentic or if it has been forged.
We’re handwriting experts. I’ve been doing this for 30 years; I’ll know for sure whether that signature is forged. Even if the parent was really sick, had Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, we can take all that into consideration. And it’s impossible to slip a forgery past trained eyes.
So, once I or my team does that job, we decide if a forgery happened. If it did, we’ll write a declaration. And if you need, we’ll come to court and testify on your behalf.
If this is a service that you need, the pricing is on our website.
Whether you deal with me or any of our experts, or any expert in the country for that matter, the process is pretty much the same. In order to prove a forgery in court, you’re going to have to hire a forensic handwriting expert, and they’re going to have to be court qualified. They’re going to have to testify. Otherwise, it’s just your word against his or hers.
And that’s the process of how you handle the determination of a forgery of a will and testament in court.
If you need our help, please reach out. Our main website is handwritingexperts.com. You can hire any of our professional experts on the website. If you want to hire me directly, go to handwritingexpertusa.com.
We have offices around the country, and we’ll travel to you to help you through this difficult time. While we know the circumstances for needing our services are not the best, at least you can rest knowing the wishes of your loved one have been fulfilled.
How to Prove A Forgery in Court.
If think your signature was forged, you have a big problem that needs an expert solution. While you might feel the judge will believe you that y Read More
Los Angeles announces expanse of Remote Courtroom appearances in hundreds of Los Angeles County criminal, family Law Courtrooms.
Audio and video appearances will be available this month in Criminal and Family Law courtrooms, vastly expanding remote appearance options the Court already has deployed this summer for Probate, Dependency, Delinquency, Appellate and Civil matters, Presiding Judge Kevin C. Brazile announced today.
The availability of audio and video in 250 Criminal courtrooms expands the remote options the Court launched earlier this year when it worked with justice partners to offer video arraignments and preliminary hearings in 32 Criminal courtrooms.
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