Los Angeles, CA asked in Personal Injury, Banking, Business Law and Health Care Law for California

Q: Does method to determine definitively if signature was forged - exist?

Can forensic expertise determine forged signature with 100% confidence? If not what would be range of variance?

3 Lawyer Answers
James L. Arrasmith
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Answered
  • Estate Planning Lawyer
  • Sacramento, CA
  • Licensed in California

A: No method exists that can determine with 100% confidence whether a signature has been forged. Forensic experts in handwriting analysis employ a range of techniques to assess the authenticity of a signature, but due to the inherent variability and complexity of handwriting, absolute certainty is not typically achievable.

The confidence level in forensic handwriting analysis can vary. Experts often express their conclusions in terms of probabilities or likelihoods rather than certainties. For example, they might state that it is highly probable or unlikely that a signature is forged, based on the comparison of known genuine signatures with the one in question.

These conclusions are based on detailed examinations of characteristics such as stroke order, pressure, and spacing. However, even with advanced techniques and experienced experts, a small margin of error remains. In legal contexts, such expert opinions are valuable and can be persuasive, but they are part of a broader array of evidence considered in a case.

Tim Akpinar
Tim Akpinar
Answered
  • Little Neck, NY

A: It isn't a 100% exact science. Handwriting experts could offer the best response to your question, but they base their findings on their analysis of the writer's writing and certain physical factors about paper, ink, and other factors. If you posed this question to handwriting experts, they might be able to tell you more about statistics and confidence levels. Good luck

George W. Wolff
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George W. Wolff
Answered
  • Business Law Lawyer
  • San Francisco, CA
  • Licensed in California

A: No

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