Frequently
Asked QuestionsFrequently
Asked QuestionsWhat is the cost of a document examination?
While the specific costs can be found in "Fee Schedules," most simple examinations, such as signature comparisons, do not exceed the NDL minimum retainer of U.S. $1,500.00, including Report of Findings. While court costs are separate, we find that testimony becomes necessary in only about 8-10% of our casework.
How long does an examination take?
Turnaround times are usually inside of 5 business days from receipt of evidence to return of evidence with either verbal or published report. Of course, the more complex the matter, the longer the examination(s) may take.
Who has used NDL services?
A comprehensive list of past and present clients (since 1990) is available at our Client List. This list includes hundreds of attorneys, corporations, and government agencies.
I do not have the original documents, only photocopies, can you work from those?
While original documents are always preferable (except in suspected photocopy forgery cases), often good, crisp, clear machine copies and even scanned PDF, JPG, or TIF files can be used where originals are not available. At times, the definitiveness of the resultant opinion(s) may be lessened because of the quality of the machine copy. Facsimile reproductions (especially those from older machines), microfiche and other such forms of machine copied documents may further lessen the definitiveness of the examination.
Can inks be dated?
In the vast majority of instances, inks simply can not be dated. That is to say, a suspected ink can not be associated with a specific date, such as "The questioned ink was manufactured in 1987." There are some one or two forensic examiners who have specialized in this area and may have some limited capability herein.
Relative ink dating can, however, be accomplished in some instances. That is, was a specific ink area written before or after another area of similar composition ink.
How do I get the evidence to you?
As NDL is located in South Florida, messenger service, if desired, is available locally. Because of the reduced costs and tracking systems, we suggest that FedEx, or similar, be employed whenever possible. Although, we have never encountered a problem using normal mail services, we do not recommend sending original materials via mail. Further information can be found in Evidence Handling.
What is the format for using questiioneddocuments.com in a bibliography?
Norwitch, Frank Harley. Norwitch Document Laboratory. "(Specific page titles)." Online. Available http://www.questioneddocuments.com. (Date you accessed site). Also see information in our copyright section.