Forensic Document Examination Consultancy

Forensic examinations are such that one can never know at the outset what the end result of an examination will be, nor the strength of any opinion that might ultimately be expressed.  We must first conduct the necessary forensic examinations.  The result very much depends on the evidence generated in the first instance and that which remains at the time the item is examined.  SF conducts forensic examinations with a view to recovering and interpreting that evidence in order to reach a conclusion on the issue in question and any other relevant matters.

The bonafides of any person claiming to guarantee results should raise concern.

For comprehensive and detailed examinations the items must be submitted to one of the SF laboratories.  Some examinations can be conducted on a limited basis elsewhere with portable equipment.  However, in such circumstances any conclusions will likely be qualified and subject to confirmation (and possible change) following detailed examinations in our laboratory where we have the benefit of access to the full range of our instrumentation, reference materials and other resources.  Furthermore, laboratory examinations allow consultation between our examiners for quality assurance purposes.  Many examinations cannot be undertaken at all outside our laboratory.  This is an issue that needs to be assessed on a case by case basis. 

Our instrumentation is expensive and mostly not designed to be portable.  Transporting the instrumentation around raises significant insurance issues as well as some occupational health and safety concerns.

Aside from these issues, scientific examinations should be undertaken in an appropriate environment - not for example on the corner of a table in a Court Registry or on a desk in another office, and preferably not (unless ordered by the Court) with clients and others looking over the examiner's shoulder.

Specimen signatures and/or handwriting can be obtained from many sources, including the following:

• greeting cards

• envelopes

• postcards and personal letters

• employment applications

• leave applications

• engagement agreements

• deeds

• cooking recipes

• shopping lists

• address books

• log books

• diaries

• children's homework sheets/logs

• child visitation correspondence books

• school books

• study notes

• contracts

• cheques and cheque book stubs

• passports and passport applications

• personnel departments

• photograph albums

• real estate documents

• drivers’ licences

• Social Security cards, papers and applications

• hospital admissions application

• tax returns

• immigration and travel documents

• letters

• loan applications

• wills 

There are many other sources that your document examiner can suggest if necessary. 

SF calculates costs based on an hourly rate.  Most other laboratories also work this way although the hourly rate may vary.  In the case of SF, the rate reflects the investment made in the equipment and technology used and the combined many years of experience of its Director and consultant staff.  

A comparison of hourly rates is largely meaningless, as it does not provide an indication of the ultimate costs.  As every matter is different, we provide an estimate of the total costs (where possible) upon receipt of detailed instructions and, in the case of forensic document examination, the documents to be examined or good copies of them with information as to which will be available as originals for the actual examination.  It is our normal practice to prepare estimates in the form of an engagement agreement outlining our costs and terms and to request a signed copy of the engagement agreement and payment of an advance on our fees prior to commencing work.

There is no fee for providing the estimate of costs.

Our document and fingerprint experts can and do review documents, fingerprint files, comparisons and conclusions of other examiners from both the government and private sector. 

The best approach to reviewing the work of another examiner, particularly in the area of forensic document examination, is for a SF examiner firstly to reach an independent conclusion following at least preliminary examinations of the same material as the other expert.  The second step is then to review the other examiner's work and conclusion in the light of the prior independent examination.

Please call us on +61 418 258 471 or send us an email via the Contact Us page.

While we cannot tell you whether we can find the evidence you want, we can provide you with clear guidance about what we can and cannot do with a view to uncovering evidence from your documents or other items.  We can also advise you of what is required for the examination and make arrangements to provide an estimate of costs. 

If any issues in your matter fall outside our area of expertise, we can put you in touch with others who may be able to assist you.

To preserve the evidentiary value of documents, the person handling the case should take the following steps:

• contact us as soon as possible for initial advice;

• do not allow the document to be treated for latent fingerprint development prior to submitting it to the document examiner - processing for latent fingerprints may alter valuable evidence and will render the use of ESDA ineffective in detecting latent writing impressions evidence;

• always submit the original document for examination when it is available or obtainable;

• avoid direct handling of any documents or items to be examined for fingerprints;

• keep direct handling of other original documents to an absolute minimum (if they are to be repeatedly referred to, they should be individually placed inside copy safe sheet protectors (transparent sleeves);

• where original documents are not available, submit the earliest generation (closest to the original in terms of generation of copy), best quality copy;

• avoid feeding documents through automatic document feeders on photocopiers, scanners and faxes;

• avoid shuffling the documents;

• avoid using staples, tweezers, binder clips and other such devices on the documents;

• avoid folding the documents;

• always submit appropriate specimen documents - originals where possible and of similar date to the questioned document;

• preserve and protect the questioned and specimen documents from bright light, the extremes of temperature and humidity, and from receiving inadvertent writing impressions pending delivery to our laboratory;

• further protect the transparent plastic sleeved documents by  placing them between two sheets of cardboard (or in a cardboard folder or ring binder) to prevent bending and inadvertent addition of writing impressions;

• provide relevant background information on the nature of the case – this will often assist our examiners in providing advice on the most relevant documentation to be submitted for examination and also in providing advice on other possible forensic examinations that should be considered.

While there is no difficulty in finding trained and non-trained people in these fields on the internet and in legal journals, lawyers and individuals should thoroughly research the background of any expert they are considering engaging.  Be sure that you are engaging a person who has undergone a structured training program under the guidance of qualified and experienced document examiners in a dedicated and recognised document examination laboratory and that the person has the necessary experience and equipment to undertake the required examination and has a quality assurance procedure.

Unfortunately, the courts are sometimes prepared to allow evidence to be given on matters pertaining to document examination and handwriting issues in particular by anyone who can demonstrate that they have what the courts perceive to be a better knowledge of the subject than the lay person.  This precedent comes from a time when few people were literate.

The sometimes gross incompetence of people who have not received proper training in the field can result in the courts being seriously misled on an issue, and usually adds significantly to the duration and cost of the hearing.  These “experts” can also bring the profession of questioned document examination into disrepute as their incompetence is immortalised in cases involving them and later referred to as being indicative of the lack of efficacy of document examination in assisting the courts.

The Australasian Society of Forensic Document Examiners Inc. (http://www.asfdeinc.org/) is a professional organisation for forensic document examiners, having members drawn from both government and private practice throughout Australia and New Zealand and other countries.  The organisation can be contacted for information as to which members of the Society are available to undertake consultancy, for general enquiries or in case of difficulties with forensic document examination results.

When preparing to send documents for examination, please note the following:

• contact us as soon as possible for initial advice;

• provide relevant background information on the nature of the case – this will often assist our examiners in providing advice on the most relevant documentation to be submitted for examination and also in providing advice on other possible forensic examinations that should be considered;

• do not allow the document to be treated for latent fingerprint development prior to submitting it to the document examiner - processing for latent fingerprints may alter valuable evidence and will render the use of ESDA ineffective in detecting latent writing impressions evidence;

• always submit the original document for examination when it is available or obtainable;

• avoid direct handling of any documents or items to be examined for fingerprints;

• keep direct handling of other original documents to an absolute minimum (if they are to be repeatedly referred to, they should be individually placed inside copy safe sheet protectors (transparent sleeves);

• where original documents are not available, submit the earliest generation, best quality copy;

• avoid feeding documents through automatic document feeders on photocopiers, scanners and faxes;

• avoid shuffling the documents;

• avoid using staples, tweezers, binder clips and other such devices on the documents;

• use appropriately sized envelopes to avoid introducing folds into the documents;

• always submit appropriate specimen documents - originals where possible and of similar date to the questioned document;

• preserve and protect the questioned and specimen documents from bright light, the extremes of temperature and humidity, and from receiving inadvertent writing impressions pending delivery to our laboratory;

• protect the documents between two sheets of cardboard to prevent bending and inadvertent addition of writing impressions;

• insert the document in the envelope after the envelope has been labelled;

• include detailed written instructions specifying which documents are in question and which can be relied upon as being genuine specimens and outlining the issues to be addressed (for example signatures, handwriting, dating, etc).

Every case is different and there is no fixed or ideal number of specimen documents that are required.  As a general comment, the more specimen material we have the better the basis for a strong result.

The nature of the specimen documents required will also differ from case to case so please contact us to discuss the specifics of your matter so we can advise you of what is required for the examination.

Regarding signature examinations, in the order of 20 specimens is usually a good starting point but we often proceed with fewer examples depending on the inherent complexity of the signatures.  Our examiners need to be able to reasonably assess natural variation in the signatures written by the person of interest.  Therefore, it is better to have too many than too few.  If among only three specimen signatures are provided and our examiners can reasonably account for the features occurring in the questioned signature, having only three specimen signatures is not necsessarily a limitation.  However, if differences are observed between a questioned signature and only three specimens, it can be difficult to assess the significance of the differences and further specimens will be needed.

For both signatures and handwriting, having at least some specimens dated as close as possible to the date of the questioned document is very important as signatures and handwriting can evolve over time.

While original ink or developed fingerprints are ideal for the examination, it may well be possible to undertake comparisons resulting in identifications or eliminations based on high-resolution images.  However, it will depend on the quality of the image and the clarity of and amount of detail in the fingerprints being examined. 

If the case involves a document, please wear gloves (ideally made of nitrile, non-latex material, or cotton) when handling and keep handling to a minimum, place the document into a copy safe sleeve, then protect it between two sheets of cardboard inside an appropriately sized envelope.  If the case involves an object such as an aluminium can, bottle or piece of glass, please wear gloves when handling and keep handling to a minimum, place the object gently into a cardboard box (if sharp) or a sturdy envelope or thick plastic bag and minimise movement and frictional contact.

The more you preserve and protect your object, the less likely the latent fingerprint can be wiped or removed.

Please do not wrap objects with any materials such as bubble wrap or newspaper.

SF provides a completely confidential service where, once the examination has concluded, all fingerprint samples are kept on file in a securely locked filing system and they are not used for any other purpose.

They are not recorded in a database.