by Karla Fermano

What’s the Job of a Certified Handwriting Expert in Phoenix, Arizona?

In Phoenix, AZ, the phrase “certified handwriting expert” gets used a lot — and often incorrectly.

I see this confusion regularly with attorneys, business owners, and even clients preparing for litigation downtown near the Maricopa County Superior Court on Jefferson Street. So let’s clear this up the right way, without legal jargon or fluff. Short answer: a certified handwriting expert usually works in one of two very different professions. One role deals with legal truth and document authenticity. The other focuses on personality insight and behavioral tendencies. Same phrase. Completely different jobs.

by Bart Baggett

Do Signature Changes Matter in Phoenix Forgery Cases?

Do Signature Changes Matter in Phoenix Forgery Cases? Here’s How Experts Look at It

In Phoenix, Arizona, disputes over signatures tend to surface at important moments — estate matters, real estate transfers, business disagreements, or probate litigation. And almost every one of those cases starts with the same concern: “This signature doesn’t look like it used to.” That concern is understandable. It’s also exactly what forensic handwriting analysis is designed to address.

by Bart Baggett

Do you need to hire a handwriting expert?

If you are an attorney, you are probably already familiar with hiring an expert witness for your case. Choosing the right expert witness is important. Most have worked with expert witnesses at some point in their career, but most haven’t hired a Forensic Document Examiner.

If your case involves a forged check, a last will and testament, a pre-nuptial agreement, a contract, or a signature that doesn’t seem to be authentic, you should be looking for a Forensic Document Examiner.

You should know a couple of things before you make your first phone call to a Forensic Document Examiner.  First, how many documents do you need analyzed? These are the documents that you and your client think may be forged or not authentic. The Forensic Document Examiner will refer to these as “questioned documents”. This is important to know since the Forensic Document Examiner will charge a fee per questioned document.

by Bart Baggett

How Can You 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 your signature was forged… it doesn’t work that way.  The courts require a court-qualified forensic document examiner to appear as a witness. 

The type of expert witness you need is called a forensic document examiner.  While many people use the term “handwriting expert”, that term sometimes could include the wrong type of professional like a handwriting school teacher, graphologist, or psychologist.   The only way to prove a forgery in court is to hire an experienced forensic document examiner and have him/her create a written report, court exhibits, and provide an in-person or zoom-based live testimony. 

by Bart Baggett

How to Spot A Forged Signature

The answer to the question about how to spot forged signatures is that you need to hire an expert to do that.

You hire an expert to determine if a signature is forged or authentic.   You hire an expert to go to court, talk to the jury, and confirm whether this is or is not a forged signature—this is a striation, this is a dot, and I’ve been doing this for 20 years.

Some people think they can spot a forged signature and that it’s easy. Sometimes, they literally google how to forge a signature. No one’s going to teach you how to forge a signature because that is a crime, so you’re going to have to attempt to do it on your own.

I could probably write a pretty good article on how to spot a forged signature or how to make a forged signature. But I don’t really want to do teach criminals how to make a forged signature because I don’t want people forging signatures. Our job is to catch criminals and testify in court to prevent loss of property and inheritance.

by Bart Baggett

Can a Handwriting Expert Help in Authenticating Signatures?

If the signature in question is on a last will and testament, the legal process called probate must be followed. So you may want to see an attorney after you have verified the signature is not a forgery. The court makes the final decision as to what happens to the deceased person’s possessions. If the Last Will and Testament is forged, that document will be thrown out. The estate will be “in-testate”. If you are dealing with an autograph, deed, contract or another legal document… the same procedure applies.

Where can I verify a signature first?

In most cases, being charged with a crime follows an arrest by law enforcement. If you find yourself in a civil courtroom, it’s because someone has filed a lawsuit against you or because you intend to file a lawsuit against another party. Take O.J. Simpson as an illustration. The truth is that he was involved in two separate legal cases. Everyone at his criminal trial saw him flee from the authorities in a pickup truck. He killed Ron Goldman. The woman’s family sued him in civil court, and he also lost that case. These are the two independent tribunals.