Worldwide Forensic Services Inc accepts cases from the following agencies:

Law offices
Public and private corporations
Businesses
Financial Institutions
Educational institutions
Federal, provincial, and municipal government
Accounting firms
Law enforcement and Investigating agencies
Insurance companies

Please Note: We do not accept cases directly from private individuals.

To ensure accurate and reliable results, certain requirements must be met when submitting documents for forensic examination. Proper handling, submission of sufficient comparison specimens, and relevant contextual information all play a crucial role in the evaluation process.

Handwriting Analysis

The questioned handwriting, hand printing, signatures, numerals, or initials can be examined and compared with known writing samples (exemplars) to determine authenticity.

For a reliable comparison, the known writing should contain the same letters, numerals, and letter combinations that appear in the questioned writing.

Normally a signature can only be compared with signatures (unless an individual has signed like name writing) and handwriting can be compared with the handwriting in the corresponding style (cursive with cursive, printed with printed, and uppercase with uppercase). The known handwriting should have the letters and their combinations available in the questioned handwriting.

Photocopies, Computer Printouts, or the Other Machine Generated Documents:

Machine-generated documents can be examined to determine their origin or to identify any alterations or fabrications. For example, a photocopy may be fabricated by transplanting a signature from another document using cut-and-paste methods or computer software.

Examination of Inks

Inks can be examined physically or chemically to determine whether the same or different inks were used in a document. Faded or obliterated writing can often be made readable using video-spectral comparison, scanning, software enhancement, or forensic filters.

Please note that Worldwide Forensic Services Inc does not provide ink dating services. Clients requiring ink dating are usually referred to www.documentdating.com

Examination of Paper

Paper can be examined and compared with other pages of a document or with known samples to determine if it matches. Torn documents can often be reconstructed, and in some cases, the paper can be dated or linked to a specific manufacturer.

Detection of Alterations

Erasures, overwriting, alterations, or indentations in a document can often be detected using specialized devices and light sources.

Evidence Submission Procedure

Evidence with a cover letter is accepted either in person (by appointment only), or via courier or certified mail. The evidence is returned in person or via courier.

Evidence Handling Guidelines

Original documents are preferred. If originals are not available, submit the best quality photocopies.

Handle documents carefully: do not staple, fold, tear, stamp, or mark them unnecessarily. Avoid touching areas of interest.

Do not mark the document itself. Place it in an envelope labeled on the outside with relevant information.

Avoid plastic envelopes for photocopies, facsimiles, or photographs, as toner may transfer.

Protect documents from heat, humidity, and direct sunlight.

Provide sufficient known handwriting or signature samples, ideally collected around the same time as the questioned document.

Submit documents safely via hand delivery or a secure courier service.

Comparison Specimen

The reliability of a forensic document examination depends on the quality of the questioned document and the availability of proper comparison samples.

We often receive calls where only one known signature is available, or two signatures are submitted with the question of which is genuine and which is forged.

Submitting insufficient or inappropriate comparison specimens—also called known signatures, handwriting samples, or exemplars—is a common issue. Proper comparison specimens are essential for the examiner to evaluate the individual’s writing characteristics and reach a reliable conclusion.

There are two types of comparison specimens:

Collected Specimens

Requested Specimens

Collected Specimens

Specimens from an Individual’s Routine Writing

These are signatures or handwriting produced by a person in their daily activities. Collecting a sufficient number of samples written under similar conditions usually provides enough data for comparison purposes.

While collecting these specimens, please consider the following:

Time Period:

It is best to collect comparison specimens that are contemporary to the questioned document. A person’s signatures or handwriting can change over time, so older samples may not always be suitable for an accurate comparison of writing characteristics.

Old Age and Illness:

Age and health conditions can significantly affect a person’s handwriting or signatures. If the questioned writing was influenced by such factors, it is important to collect comparison specimens written under similar conditions.

Writing Conditions:

Sometimes, the questioned writing may have been done while standing or in an awkward posture. Collecting comparison specimens written under similar conditions can be helpful for an accurate comparison.

Writing Instrument:

Signatures or handwriting written with common instruments like ballpoint pens, fountain pens, gel pens, or pencils usually do not show significant variations due to the writing tool. However, it is still preferable to collect comparison specimens written with a similar type of instrument.

Broad-tipped instruments, such as felt-tip marker pens, can produce more noticeable differences. In such cases, it is important to provide comparison specimens written with a similar instrument.

Sources of Collected Comparison Specimens:

The following list of documents may be helpful to collect the comparison specimens:

Affidavits	Greeting cards	Post Cards
Agreements	Guest lists	Purchase Invoices
Bank Deposit Slips	Identification Cards	Real Estate Documents
Bank Signature Card	Insurance Forms	Receipts
Canceled Cheques	Job Applications	Registration Forms
College or University Applications	Letters	Rental Agreements
Correspondence	Loan Applications	Rental Receipts
Court Documents	Marriage Certificate	Reports
Credit Card Receipts	Membership Cards	Requisitions
Deposit/Withdrawal Slips	Message Pads	Tax Forms
Diaries	Mortgage Documents	Telephone and Address Books
Discharge Papers	Notebooks	Time Sheets
Driver’s Licence	Notes	Welfare Records
Employment Records	Passport