Private investigators can be an invaluable asset to attorneys in a variety of ways, including skip tracing, asset searches, background reports, surveillance, jury vetting, international investigations, and online research. Attorneys who work with private investigators can gain a competitive advantage in their cases and improve their chances of achieving a positive outcome for their clients. How?
One of the most common services that private investigators offer to attorneys is skip tracing. Skip tracing is the process of locating a person who has gone missing or has intentionally tried to avoid being found. This service is especially useful in civil cases where a person may be trying to evade service of process or in criminal cases where a witness or defendant may have fled the area. Private investigators use a variety of techniques to locate individuals, including database searches, social media searches, and interviews with friends and family members.
Asset searches are another important service valued by attorneys. In many civil cases, the amount of damages that can be recovered is limited by the defendant’s ability to pay. Private investigators can help attorneys determine the assets that a defendant has. These might include bank, brokerage and crypto accounts, real estate, and other investments. This information can be used to negotiate a settlement or to prepare for trial.
Background reports are also a key service that private investigators provide to attorneys. Background reports can provide information on an individual’s criminal history, employment history, and financial history. This information can be used to assess the credibility of witnesses, to prepare for cross-examination, or to determine whether a potential client has a history of fraudulent behavior.
Surveillance might be one of the most commonly known PI tools that can be used to gather evidence in a variety of cases, including insurance defense, infidelity, personal injury cases, divorce cases, and workers’ compensation cases.
Jury vetting is a service that is becoming increasingly popular among private investigators. Jury vetting involves our team working in real-time during voir dire to look into the backgrounds of members of the jury pool. This can include social media posts, political contributions and registrations, criminal history, employment, and more. We match this against what our client has identified as their “ideal juror” to give a thumbs up or thumbs down on each potential juror.
If you have business interests internationally, Private Investigators can help find critical information. International investigations can involve locating witnesses or defendants who are overseas, conducting background checks on foreign companies or individuals, or gathering evidence in foreign jurisdictions. PI’s who specialize in international investigations have experience working with foreign governments, law enforcement agencies, and legal systems.
Finally, open-source research conducted by experienced analysts can uncover all kinds of clues. This includes researching social media platforms, blogs, public records, and other websites.
When you have a tough case, it never hurts to review it with a private investigator to see which out-of-the-box tools may be available. There are so many ways investigators can add value to attorneys beyond the traditional thought-of methods.
Author: Crossroads Investigations
