What do you look for in a forensic examiner?

What do you look for in a forensic examiner before retaining them to be your partner on a legal case? Price is not the most important aspect since the low price expert witness may prove to be the most expensive if the results are inadequate.

There are no licensing requirements for many forensic disciplines, including forensic document examination. Several organizations offer professional certifications in their disciplines. In many instances the certifications are a basic profit center for the organization in that certified members are required to obtain recertification points through the organization.

What you should look for in a forensic examiner is how the expert witness remains current in their discipline. Some examiners maintain currency in their field by attending conferences and seminars in their discipline. Others attend college and university classes to learn new tools and techniques. Others perform research which they present in peer reviewed journals and at conferences of their peers. Some organizations of which document examiners are members or cite for education do not offer a document examination section.

What skills do you look for when hiring a forensic examiner?