It is bad enough to lose a loved one, let alone to discover a last will and testament that the heirs did not know even existed. Such a will might not actually have been signed by the testator and is therefore not a true reflection of the deceased’s wishes in regard to the distribution of the estate.
When a last will and testament bears testators’ or witness signatures that look odd, unusual or in any way different from the norm, these are known as ‘questioned signatures’. In such cases, a signature verification examination is required.
Very often in cases of disputed wills a handwriting expert has to decide whether the signatures on the will are distorted due to weakness or ill-health (especially if the testator was close to death at the time that the will was drawn up and signed) or whether they are evidence of fraudulent activity.
My services include:
Andrea le Sueur is a certified forensic document examiner CFDE® and handwriting expert based in Hout Bay, Cape Town. She is certified by the Scientific Association of Forensic Examiners (SAFE®) (USA).
