Question 1

What should I know before submitting a case?

Accepted Answer

Before submitting a case, we offer an initial assessment to determine if an appropriate examination can be conducted based on the available documents. We will advise on the suitability of your documents and the necessary comparison material. Please note, we do not provide any indication of the examination outcome at this pre-assessment stage.

Question 2

What does peer-review mean?

Accepted Answer

As experienced document examiners, we believe that our assessments will withstand scrutiny in a court of law. However, to provide even greater surety to clients, appropriate peer review of findings will be conducted as part of the examination. Peer-review is an important part of the examination process and ensures that clients have complete confidence in the content of the report they receive.

Question 3

What is a court-compliant report?

Accepted Answer

Where it is intended that reports will be used as evidence in court, reports will contain all of the necessary declarations and clauses that ensure compliance with current court submission procedures. For civil cases, reports will be compliant with Part 35 of the Civil Procedure Rules.

Question 4

What is the process for submitting a case?

Accepted Answer

To submit a case, please refer to our Case Submission page. If you are sending original documents for examination, we recommend using Royal Mail Special Delivery to ensure full tracking. Once posted, please provide us with the tracking reference.

Question 5

How does a Forensic Document Examiner differ from a Graphologist?

Accepted Answer

A Forensic Document Examiner uses scientific principles to provide opinions on the authenticity or authorship of signatures and handwriting, involving detailed examination and comparison. This role requires a scientific degree and an apprenticeship of at least two years. In contrast, Graphologists claim to determine physical characteristics and personality traits from handwriting, often through short correspondence courses.

Question 6

Will my documents be damaged?

Accepted Answer

All examinations are non-destructive, so your documents will not be altered or damaged whilst in our possession.

Question 7

Can you determine when a document was created?

Accepted Answer

Determining the exact date a document was created is generally not possible. However, we can sometimes provide an approximate date using indirect methods such as identifying watermarks or specific typefaces. While we cannot determine the age of ink entries, we can refer you to international experts who specialise in such examinations.

Question 8

What is your Range of Opinions?

Accepted Answer

Handwriting and signature cases are reported using a 7-point scale of opinions, in line with similar scales used by forensic document examiners in the UK and worldwide. (a) Very strong support for the proposition that the questioned entry was written by the author of the known writing(s). (b) Strong support for the proposition that the questioned entry was written by the author of the known writing(s). (c) Limited support for the proposition that the questioned entry was written by the author of the known writing(s). (d) The evidence is inconclusive; the findings provide approximately equal support for both propositions. (e) Limited support for the proposition that the questioned entry and the known writing(s) were produced by different writers. (f) Strong support for the proposition that the questioned entry and the known writing(s) were produced by different writers. (g) Very strong support for the proposition that the questioned entry and the known writing(s) were produced by different writers. Conclusive opinions are rarely scientifically justified, as they require the exclusion of all other propositions. A 'No opinion' or 'Insufficient' conclusion applies when the available material is too limited to allow for a meaningful comparison.

Question 9

Can I pay for a letter of opinion instead of a report?

Accepted Answer

In order to provide a reliable opinion, we always carry out a full examination and assess the significance of the findings based on our experience. All results are provided in a report, with images where considered useful, and the report includes any necessary declarations for use in court. On rare occasions it may be possible to provide a brief summary of the findings, but this must be discussed prior to instructions being agreed.

Question 10

Can you guarantee to confirm that a signature is or is not genuine?

Accepted Answer

No. It is not possible to predict the outcome of a case, even if documents are provided for an initial assessment. There are occasions when it is not possible to determine whether a signature is genuine. This may be due to the quality of the documents available, the number of known documents provided, the variation within a signature, or the complexity of the signature. In such cases the evidence may be inconclusive.

Question 11

What does 'QD' stand for in QD Examiners?

Accepted Answer

'QD' stands for 'questioned document'. This term refers to any handwriting, signature, printed material, or mark whose authenticity is in dispute. A QD Examiner, also known as a Forensic Document Examiner, is an expert in examining these questioned documents.

QD Examiners Limited

Frequently asked questions

How does a Forensic Document Examiner differ from a Graphologist?

What does "QD" stand for in QD Examiners?

What qualifications do you have?

What does a forensic document examiner do?

How much does a handwriting expert cost?

What does peer-review mean?

Can you determine when a document was created?

Can you guarantee to confirm that a signature is/is not genuine?

What are your typical turnaround times?

Do you work with solicitors nationwide?

Do you attend court to give expert evidence?

Do you work for both prosecution and defence?

How much does a forensic document examination cost?

Can you take urgent or last‑minute cases?

How does handwriting analysis work?

Do you accept Legal Aid instructions?

Do you provide quotes for Legal Aid applications?

Do you work with solicitors, barristers, or directly with clients?

Can you provide expert evidence in court for Legal Aid cases?

What documents do you need to assess a Legal Aid case?

Do you offer fast turnaround for urgent Legal Aid matters?

What should I know before submitting a case?

What is the process for submitting a case?

Will my documents be damaged?

Do you need original documents?

What is a court-compliant report?

Can I pay for a letter of opinion instead of a report?

What does peer-review mean?

What is your Range of Opinions?

Can handwriting analysis be used as evidence in court?

QD Examiners Limited:
Elisabeth Briggs
Hannah Pocock

QD Examiners Limited

Frequently asked questions

How does a Forensic Document Examiner differ from a Graphologist?

What does "QD" stand for in QD Examiners?

What qualifications do you have?

What does a forensic document examiner do?

How much does a handwriting expert cost?

What does peer-review mean?

Can you determine when a document was created?

Can you guarantee to confirm that a signature is/is not genuine?

What are your typical turnaround times?

Do you work with solicitors nationwide?

Do you attend court to give expert evidence?

Do you work for both prosecution and defence?

How much does a forensic document examination cost?

Can you take urgent or last‑minute cases?

How does handwriting analysis work?

Do you accept Legal Aid instructions?

Do you provide quotes for Legal Aid applications?

Do you work with solicitors, barristers, or directly with clients?

Can you provide expert evidence in court for Legal Aid cases?

What documents do you need to assess a Legal Aid case?

Do you offer fast turnaround for urgent Legal Aid matters?

What should I know before submitting a case?

What is the process for submitting a case?

Will my documents be damaged?

Do you need original documents?

What is a court-compliant report?

Can I pay for a letter of opinion instead of a report?

What does peer-review mean?

What is your Range of Opinions?

Can handwriting analysis be used as evidence in court?

QD Examiners Limited: Elisabeth Briggs Hannah Pocock

QD Examiners Limited:
Elisabeth Briggs
Hannah Pocock