A guide for new clients who hire a forensic handwriting expert. What to expect.

• Handwriting experts, also known as forensic handwriting experts, are hired to analyze and determine the authenticity of handwriting or signatures on documents.
• The cost of hiring a handwriting expert depends on the number of documents that need to be analyzed, the experience of the expert, and the additional costs involved in photographing originals or attending depositions or court appearances.
• Handwriting experts are unbiased expert witnesses and are not paid based on the outcome of the case. Because of this, honest handwriting experts must be paid in full before rendering an opinion with no promise of back end earnings. Financing is not available due to possible ethical violation.
• Prices for hiring a handwriting expert can range from $300 to $800 per hour, with some requiring a minimum number of hours in their retainer.  Appearance in court is often $3500 per day or more for an experienced forensic document examiner.
• Factors that can affect the cost of hiring a handwriting expert include the complexity of the case, the number of documents that need to be analyzed, and the expert’s level of experience. It will also cost more to have that expert take photographs and inspect the original document with a microscope and other specialized equipment.
• If you need to hire a handwriting expert, it’s important to carefully research and compare expert credentials in order to find the one that is qualified and can best convince the jury that their opinion is correct. If you are serious about winning your case, consider an expert who has testified over 100 times in court. If you don’t care about winning but are focused on saving money… You can hire a less qualified expert who might not get the correct answer. In the long run, hire for quality, not savings.