Kate has examined thousands of cases during her 16+ years as a forensic document examiner, involving disputed documents in the UK and Ireland, for both the prosecution and defence, and also as a single joint expert witness. Kate has experience in preparing court-worthy reports, which can be used as expert witness evidence in courts of law.
She also attends court as an expert witness to present evidence and answer questions in person. Cases involving internal company investigations or family disputes can also be examined on behalf of private corporations and members of the public. Legal Aid Authority work is also undertaken.
Areas include:
Questioned Documents
Cases involving questioned handwriting or signatures which may include items such as wills, threat letters, cheques, company accounts, job applications and letters of reference, contracts of sale, marriage or divorce papers, invoices, insurance paperwork, bank account applications and graffiti.
Document and Forensic Handwriting Analysis
Documentation which is suspected of being forged or counterfeit. Areas of study include the analysis of handwriting, signatures and typed / printed / photocopied information. Cases can also involve examinations for the presence of alterations and / or text insertions, from single characters through to whole pages in bound volumes.
Forgery of Signatures
With the growing number of cases of identity theft and fraud, individuals need to protect their personal identity information more than ever.
Handwriting Analyst
The main focus of forensic document examination is the study and comparison of questioned handwriting and signatures. Such cases include identity theft, wills, property disputes, tenancy contracts, anonymous letters and graffiti. All areas of law are covered, including criminal, probate, family and civil law matters, together with tribunal work.
Authentication of documentation
Where official paperwork needs to be verified, we can study microscopic features of the inks and paper to verify whether documents are genuine. Items such as passports, bank notes, degree certificates, celebrity signatures, tickets, and driver’s licences can be analysed and authenticated.