Instructions

How to Prepare Documents for Forensic Document Examination

If you are submitting documents for examination, the most important first step is to provide the questioned document and the best available comparison material.

Most cases involve signatures, handwriting, altered documents, or records that are being challenged in some way. The quality of the documents submitted can affect the scope of the examination and, in some cases, the strength of the opinion that can be rendered.

If you are unsure what to send, please call before submitting documents. Every case is different, and a brief conversation can help determine what is needed for your particular matter.

What Is the Questioned Document?

The questioned document is the document being disputed, challenged, or examined.

Examples may include:

• A questioned signature
• A handwritten note or letter
• A will, trust, deed, or contract
• A check, loan document, authorization form, or business record
• A document suspected of alteration
• A document suspected of containing additions, substitutions, or copied signatures

Please include every document that is being questioned. If there are multiple questioned signatures, pages, versions, or related documents, include all of them. Do not assume one page is enough if other pages may provide context.

Originals Are Preferred When Available

Original documents are preferred whenever possible because they may allow for a more complete examination. An original document may contain features that are not fully visible in a copy, scan, photograph, or fax.

However, many real-world cases proceed with copies because the original is unavailable, held by another party, filed with the court, stored by a business or institution, or no longer exists. If you only have a copy, that is still worth discussing.

If you have the original document, please do not write on it, staple it, fold it unnecessarily, laminate it, alter it, or attempt to “clean it up.” Keep the document in its current condition and handle it as little as possible.

If the original is not available, submit the best-quality copy you have and explain whether the original may exist.

Can Copies Be Examined?

Yes. Many questioned document cases involve copies, scans, photographs, or electronically stored documents rather than original ink-on-paper documents. While original documents are always preferred when available, the submission of copies is common and often appropriate when copies are all that exist or all that can be obtained.

If you only have a copy, do not assume your document cannot be examined. A forensic document examiner can often evaluate the visible features that remain in the copy, especially when the copy is clear, complete, and accompanied by sufficient known comparison documents.

Copies may be submitted for an initial review and, in many cases, for examination. The important issue is not simply whether the document is an original or a copy, but whether the available image contains enough detail for the type of examination requested.

That said, copies do have limitations. A photocopy, scan, or photograph may not show certain features as clearly as an original document, including pen pressure, ink flow, indentations, paper characteristics, stroke sequence, or subtle line quality. For that reason, when an examination is based on a copy, the limitation should be noted in the case file, report, declaration, or testimony, as appropriate.

This does not mean the examination has no value. It simply means the opinion must be based on the features available for examination.

If only copies are available, please provide the best-quality version possible. A first-generation copy, high-resolution scan, or clear PDF is preferred over a fax, screenshot, compressed image, or copy of a copy.

When submitting copies:

• Provide the clearest and most complete copy available
• Include the entire page, not just the signature area
• Do not crop out margins, dates, initials, stamps, or surrounding text
• Avoid screenshots when a scan or PDF is available
• Do not apply filters, editing, or image enhancement
• Provide multiple versions if one copy is clearer than another
• Let me know whether the original exists and who may have possession of it

The absence of an original does not automatically prevent an examination; it simply becomes one of the conditions considered when evaluating the document.

If the original document becomes available later, it may be requested for further examination.

How to Submit Digital Files

If submitting documents by email, scan them at the highest practical resolution available.

For most matters, a high-resolution PDF is preferred. Avoid sending tiny screenshots, compressed images, or photos taken at an angle. If a document must be photographed, place it flat on a clean surface, use good lighting, avoid shadows, and make sure the entire page is visible.

When submitting digital files:

• Send documents as PDF files when possible
• Use high-resolution scans
• Do not crop out margins, page edges, dates, initials, or surrounding text
• Do not apply filters or editing
• Do not reduce file size if it lowers image quality
• Label files clearly if there are multiple documents

Helpful file names may include:

• Questioned Signature – Will Page 3
• Known Signature – Check 2019
• Known Signature – Driver License
• Questioned Contract – Full Document
• Comparison Handwriting – Letter 2021

Clear file names help keep documents organized and reduce confusion during review.

What Are Comparison Documents?

Comparison documents are known or undisputed writings used to compare against the questioned writing or signature.

These may also be called known samples, exemplars, or comparison standards.

For a signature examination, comparison documents should contain signatures of the person whose writing is being questioned. For a handwriting examination, comparison documents should contain known handwriting from that person.

The best comparison samples are usually natural writings created in the ordinary course of life, before the dispute arose.

Examples may include:

• Checks
• Contracts
• Legal documents
• Medical or dental forms
• Employment records
• Business records
• Letters, cards, or notes
• Identification documents
• Tax forms
• Bank records
• Prior signed agreements

Please include all known or undisputed documents available that contain comparison signatures and/or handwriting.

Why Multiple Comparison Samples Are Important

One signature is rarely enough to understand a person’s full range of natural variation.

People do not sign their name exactly the same way every time. Signatures may vary based on writing speed, position, age, health, surface, pen type, available space, and circumstances. A forensic document examiner evaluates both similarities and differences while considering the writer’s natural range.

Providing multiple known signatures helps establish the person’s normal writing habits and variation.

When possible, provide comparison samples that are:

• Known to be genuine
• Similar in type to the questioned writing
• Close in date to the questioned document
• Written under normal circumstances
• Clear and legible
• Unaltered and complete

 

Contemporaneous Samples Are Especially Helpful

Comparison samples written close in time to the questioned document are especially helpful.

Handwriting and signatures can change over time. Age, illness, injury, medication, stress, tremor, vision changes, and writing conditions may affect how a person writes. A signature written twenty years before the questioned document may still be useful, but signatures written closer to the relevant date may provide a better comparison.

If the questioned document is dated 2022, try to locate known signatures or handwriting from around that same general time period, both before and after the questioned date if possible.

Do Not Mark the Documents

Please do not write notes, arrows, circles, highlights, or labels directly on original documents.

If you need to identify a specific signature, page, or area of concern, make a copy and mark the copy only. You may also provide a separate written explanation identifying the questioned area.

For example:

“The questioned signature appears on page 4 of the contract, above the printed name John Smith.”

This protects the original document while still allowing you to explain what needs to be examined.

Mailing Original Documents

If you are mailing original documents, use a trackable delivery service such as USPS Priority Mail, UPS, or FedEx.

Before mailing, call the office to confirm the mailing address and discuss the best way to package the documents. Do not send original documents without first confirming that they should be mailed.

When mailing documents:

• Use a trackable shipping method
• Protect documents from bending or moisture
• Do not staple or alter the documents
• Include your contact information
• Include a brief description of what is being questioned
• Keep copies for your records

If the document is part of active litigation, attorneys should consider chain of custody, discovery obligations, and whether the original must be preserved or produced through formal legal procedures.

In-Person Delivery

Documents may be delivered in person by appointment only.

Please call first to schedule a time. Do not leave original documents unattended or deliver documents without confirmation.

Email Submission

Documents may be submitted by email when appropriate.

Email is often useful for an initial review, scheduling, and determining whether the materials appear suitable for examination. However, depending on the case, original documents may still be requested.

If emailing documents, include:

• Your name and contact information
• Whether you are an attorney, party, business representative, or private individual
• A brief explanation of the issue
• The questioned document
• Known comparison documents
• Any relevant deadlines
• Whether a report, declaration, deposition, or trial testimony may be needed

Fax Is the Least Preferred Method

Faxed documents are generally the least preferred method of submission.

Fax transmission can reduce image quality, distort details, and remove important features needed for examination. If possible, use mail, in-person delivery, or high-resolution scanning instead.

Information to Include With Your Submission

To help evaluate your matter efficiently, please include the following:

• What document is being questioned
• What specific signature, handwriting, or area is disputed
• The date of the questioned document, if known
• Whether the original is available
• Whether copies or scans are being submitted
• Who wrote or signed the known comparison documents
• Whether litigation is pending
• Any court, deposition, discovery, or report deadlines
• Whether you need a verbal consultation, written report, declaration, or testimony

You do not need to know every answer before contacting my office. These questions simply help organize the case and determine what may be needed.

Attorneys Submitting Documents

Attorneys are encouraged to call before submitting documents, especially when the case involves court deadlines, discovery issues, opposing experts, rebuttal review, deposition preparation, or trial testimony.

During the initial discussion, we can address:

• Scope of examination
• Available questioned documents
• Known comparison material
• Whether originals are needed
• Report or declaration requirements
• Deadlines
• Deposition or trial availability
• Remote or in-person testimony
• Potential limitations based on copies or insufficient exemplars

If the matter involves an opposing expert report, please include the report, exhibits, questioned documents, and comparison documents relied upon by the opposing expert, if available.

Private Individuals Submitting Documents

Private individuals often contact my office because they suspect a signature was forged, a document was changed, or a loved one’s writing does not appear genuine.

You do not need to know the technical terms before calling. The consultation will help determine what documents are needed and whether the matter may require attorney involvement.

If your matter involves probate, inheritance, real estate, financial accounts, family disputes, or active litigation, you may also need legal advice. A forensic document examiner can examine documents and provide opinions within the field of document examination, but cannot provide legal advice.

Not sure what happens before the examination begins?

Click here to read: What to Expect During an Initial Consultation With a Handwriting Expert.

That article explains what is covered during the first conversation, including questioned documents, comparison samples, originals, copies, expert qualifications, fees, reports, and testimony.

Before Sending Documents, Please Call

Every case is different. The type of documents needed depends on the issue being examined, the quality of the available material, and whether the matter involves consultation, written opinion, declaration, deposition, or trial testimony.

Before sending original documents or large files, please contact my office for instructions specific to your case.

Call or text: 310-910-3993 Email: beth@handwritingexpertbethchrisman.com

Beth Chrisman is a certified and court-qualified forensic document examiner and handwriting expert who examines questioned documents, handwriting, signatures, and altered documents for attorneys, businesses, and private individuals.