One disk, one fee, written down first
What a forensic examination costs. The standard report most people need, at one published fee, and the expert report a court may need, quoted.
The first conversation is free, and it decides which of two reports you need. The standard forensic report for a one-disk system is £800 + VAT: write-blocked imaging, hashing and verification, the examination of the verified image scoped to your questions, key findings confirmed in a second tool, and a self-contained factual report with its chain-of-custody and case-log reports. A second disk is quoted as extra. A court expert report, written to the rules that govern expert evidence, with declarations, a statement of truth and attendance where needed, is quoted separately and runs into the thousands. The fee is agreed in writing before the examination begins, and it is for the examination, not for any particular finding. VAT is charged at the standard rate.
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The fees, in one place.
Describe your situation →| What | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| First conversation and authority check | Free | Whether we can take it on, and which report fits |
| Standard forensic report, one-disk system | £800 + VAT | Imaging, hashing, examination, report with chain-of-custody and case-log reports |
| A second disk in the same system | Quoted as extra | A two-disk desktop or office PC; NAS and RAID quoted on the configuration |
| Court expert report | Quoted, in the thousands | To CPR Part 35, CrimPR Part 19 or the NI practice directions |
| Attendance at court or tribunal | Quoted | With the expert report, on the hearing timetable |
| Return of the exhibit | Included | Sealed, by tracked post; or retained under seal on request |
What the standard report includes.
The standard forensic report covers a one-disk system: the exhibit logged and photographed on receipt, your authority checked, the drive imaged bit for bit behind a hardware write blocker, MD5 and SHA-256 hashes computed and verified, and every later step performed on the verified image. The examination is scoped to your questions and draws on the artefacts they turn on, from USB history and files opened from removable media to deletions, email, document metadata and a timeline. Key findings are confirmed in a second tool.
The report is produced in OSForensics as a self-contained HTML or PDF document, with a chain-of-custody report and a case-log report: the exhibit and its condition, the integrity record, the tools and versions, the method, the findings by category with tables and a timeline, the limitations, and factual conclusions. Recovered files in scope are supplied on encrypted media. Four illustrative examples are on the sample reports page.
It is a factual report. It does not contain expert opinion and is not written to the expert-evidence rules; its author can give evidence of fact about what was done and found. For most matters, an employer's decision, an HR process, a solicitor's assessment, a negotiation, an insurance claim, that is what is needed.
The expert report, and why the fee is not contingent.
A court expert report is written for the court under CPR Part 35 and Practice Direction 35 in England and Wales, the Criminal Procedure Rules Part 19 in criminal cases, or the equivalent Northern Ireland practice directions, with the expert's qualifications, the instructions, the range of opinion and the reasons, the declaration and statement of truth, and the overriding duty to the court. It is quoted on the questions asked, the volume of material and the hearing timetable, and it runs into the thousands. It usually begins with the standard examination.
The fee for any examination or report is not contingent on the outcome. An examination that finds nothing has still answered a question, and an expert whose fee depended on the result would not be independent. So we tell you honestly at the first conversation whether an examination is likely to help, before anything is agreed, and the fee is fixed in writing before work begins.
The questions that come up first.
How much is a forensic examination?
The standard forensic report for a one-disk system is £800 + VAT. A second disk is quoted as extra. A court expert report is quoted separately and runs into the thousands. The first conversation is free.
Why is a court expert report so much more?
Because it is a different piece of work: opinion evidence written to the court's rules, with the expert's reasoning on the range of opinion, declarations and a statement of truth, exposure to cross-examination, and often attendance. It is quoted on the questions, the material and the timetable.
Do I pay if nothing is found?
Yes, the fee is for the examination and the report. An examination that finds nothing has still answered a question, and an examiner's fee should never depend on the result. We tell you honestly beforehand whether an examination is likely to help.
What counts as a one-disk system?
A computer, laptop or recorder with a single drive, or a single external drive, USB stick or memory card. A desktop with two drives is quoted as extra; a NAS or RAID is quoted on its configuration.
Is VAT included?
No; every figure is plus VAT at the standard rate.
One fee, agreed before any work.
Tell us the situation and the device, and the first conversation will tell you which report you need and what it will cost, in writing.