In order to determine the validity of a suspected forgery, the disputed material must be compared to known, verifiable handwriting samples (exemplars or standards). These handwriting samples should be:
Sufficient in number - One or two standards will result in a weak opinion. Every writer has "natural variation" in their handwriting. One or two standards will not give the examiner an accurate representation of what the natural variation might be nor will they identify the degree to which it exists. Try to get 20 standard writings. More is always better.
Relevant - If the suspected forgery is a formal signature appearing on a Will or Power of Attorney, find formal signatures to compare it to. Comparing a disputed formal signature to the handwritten numbers in the margins of a checkbook or a hastily written shopping note will not produce meaningful results. Apples to apples.
Contemporaneous - The writing of an individual can change over time, sometimes drastically. Illness, age, addiction and trauma (physical or emotional) can have a dramatic effect on a person's writing. Handwriting samples should be dated as close as possible to the date of the suspected forgery; some before, some after.
Original documents - Non-original documents, to the examiner, are 2-dimensional. A wet-ink signature on a document is 3-dimensional. It has depth, and that matters. The image created by a copy machine is quite literally black and white. The image will reproduce or it won't. All of the shading and much of the nuance is lost. If the original documents exist (both standards and disputed), it is worth the trouble to make certain the examiner has access to them. Non-original documents will always result in a qualified opinion.
In addition, keep in mind that there are no "preliminary opinions" or "first impressions." The professional examiner does not have that luxury. There is no opinion unless and until a thorough examination has been completed.
Also, the examiner is not an advocate. He or she must remain totally objective. There is no guarantee that you will get the opinion you seek. What you will get is an honest, unbiased assessment based on careful consideration and decades of experience. And, the fee is not dependent on the outcome of the examination.
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