When To Hire A Private Investigator

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Sometimes people let their emotions get the best of them. They may be very emotional because they are going through a nasty divorce or they suspect a spouse is cheating on them. They act without thinking the situation through and things can end up getting a lot worse. Some people think that hiring a private investigator is something that only happens in the movies, not in real life. But knowing when it is the right time could make a big difference in getting accurate results.

One thing that people should realize is that once you have taken steps to have someone close to you investigated, you will have to deal with the consequences regardless of the findings. If you suspect a spouse of cheating and find out that your suspicions are private investigators phoenixunfounded, will you be able to live with the knowledge of your actions without telling the person? If not, you may be putting the relationship at risk by telling them you had them investigated. Only after you have considered all possible outcomes to this type of investigation should you start to look for a private investigator.

Indications that You Need an Investigative Service

Certain types of situations call for investigators who have more resources for learning the truth than you have on your own. In the work place, causing less disruption to the normal routine will help improve the chances of catching embezzlers in the act. In personal situations such as trying to catch a cheating spouse, a private investigator can check for things like financial infidelity and deleted internet history that are often telltale signs. They can also provide professional surveillance to find out where the spouse is spending their time and with whom.

Some of the reasons that you should consider hiring an investigative service are:

•    A child’s welfare is at stake. During a divorce or separation, or any time that a child is in the custody of another person, any sign that there is abuse or neglect should be investigated to ensure that the child is not being endangered. An investigator can also give you peace of mind when you are hiring a child care giver.

•    The books aren’t coming out right. There are many types of businesses with accounting systems that meet their specific needs. Regardless of how you do business, constant irregularities in the books and the cash count should be looked at. Some businesses let small amounts slide, thinking it was due to human error. Often, that is what the person taking the cash is hoping for.

•    You can’t get peace of mind. Sometimes you get nagging suspicions that later seem to be out of place and you can attribute them to a known cause or trigger. If you have suspicions that won’t go away or that are continually reinforced, act before it becomes an issue. Otherwise, the person will become more cautious.

•    The reputation of your business is at risk. Companies have a tendency to take the blame when an employee is found out to be engaging in criminal activity. Whatever your suspicions, if you think someone may be doing something to cause your business reputation harm, find out before it becomes a bigger problem and expense to you.

There are many situations that come up which are unique from the norm. Hiring a private investor from your state can be the best way to enjoy financial security, a top professional reputation, and peace of mind.

How Private Investigators Can Help When You Are Being Sued

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As long as there are frivolous lawsuits, there is the possibility that you will find yourself on the wrong side of a lawsuit without having done anything wrong under the law. Often, the plaintiff will sue the person who they feel has something of value to take instead of the person who has the real liability in the case. While defendants who are charged with a criminal offense have the right to legal representation and will be given an appointed attorney even if they can’t afford to pay one, people who are sued for person injury or other types of liability must find and retain representation on their own. When you find yourself in this type of situation, hiring private investigators may be more valuable to you than spending a lot of money on a high-priced lawyer.

When you watch lawyers on TV, it seems like they take care of everything for their clients. In the real world, the clients are responsible for a lot of the work that goes into defending their case. Even the simplest cases may be rescheduled and debated so that they last for years. During this time, a variety of charges come into play that can eat away at your finances. Meanwhile, the plaintiff’s attorneys are probably working on a contingency fee so that they don’t have to pay anything up front. Most people never realize the position that they can be put into through no action or liability of their own.

Many law firms retain private investigators to take care of a variety of investigative needs for any clients that require them. If your lawyer uses an investigative service, ask them specifically what the investigators are being asked to investigate and why. No one knows the situation surrounding the case better than you and you may be able to make suggestions that will help disprove the case against you.

Read Everything Related to the Case

Although this involves going through a mountain of paper work, it will tell you the facts of the case as the plaintiff sees it and let Private Investigator In Phoenixyou know exactly what you are being accused of. Private investigators are familiar with the laws and they will work for you when you aren’t sure what your options are. If the person who is suing you is claiming to have received injuries as a result of your actions or negligence, a good investigator can determine if their injuries are legitimate and if the accident was the real cause.

If you have potential witnesses that can help your case but you don’t know where to find them, an investigator can identify, locate and interview them. They can also find answered to any unanswered questions that are important to your case. As former law enforcement officers, investigators can look at the current situation and all the factors in the case to determine what the truth is and how you can prove it. Consider a private investigator as a valuable member of your defense team.

How Social Media Is Helping Private Investigators Do Their Jobs

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It really is no big secret that companies are taking advantage of the information on consumers’ Facebook pages to find target customers and build relationships with them. What fewer people realize is the ease with which private investigators can use that same information to find answers for their clients. Although few cases will be solved with directly from the information that is found online, it can provide a clue about which steps to take next. For example, if a woman suspects her husband is having an affair and she suspects a certain woman, the investigator may use Facebook or other social media sites to look up the woman of interest and see if there is any mention of the man or if she has posted photos on her wall.

It isn’t just about finding cheating spouses, either. When people go missing, social media sites can help in two ways: They can give clues about the person’s interests that will narrow down the list of places the investigator will have to look and it is a good way to get the word out that the person is missing. When people send photos and missing person notices, they share with everyone they are friends with and the process continues with many new people being exposed to the information in a short period of time.

Friends of Friends

People on Facebook talk to their friends and share their feelings and plans. Private investigators can use this “chat” to learn who a Private Investigators Phoenix Azperson is connected to and the types of things they have shared. People often use a fake identity online, making it difficult to find them. When contacts are identified online, this can lead the investigator straight to the person of interest.

Private Investigators, Social Media and Divorce Lawyers

Divorce lawyers have long relied on investigators for digging up dirt on the spouses of their divorce clients. Today, investigators rely on social media much more frequently and relying less on old-fashioned surveillance methods: At least, to start their investigations. Often, the claims that are made by their clients about their spouse can easily be proven or dis-proven by simply going to their social media page. Practices like drinking alcohol or gambling that the spouse denies are often available in print where they think no one that matters is going to see it. Even status updates can be a valuable resource for the investigator who is looking for a missing spouse.

One reason that it is so easy to find evidence for a divorce case on social media sites is that this is where the problem began in the first place. More divorces are occurring because of rekindled relationships that have gotten a fresh start with an old flame when a connection was made online. It is also easier for cheaters to meet new partners without even leaving their homes. Fortunately for private investigators, Facebook and other social media sites have provided a valuable resource that makes their work go a little faster.

Reasons Celebrities Hire Private Investigators

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It isn’t unusual for all types of people to follow in the footsteps of those they admire the most. Whatever we see our favorite celebrity doing, we think of as the fashionable thing to do. While most of us think of celebrities being glamorous and extravagant, they often do things that are good for their reputation, their careers, or when going up against an opponent. Hiring private investigators may not be the first thing that comes to mind when considering the celebrities you most like to emulate. But it can be one of the more reasonable things you can do to follow in their footsteps.

First of all, celebrities are not only movie stars. They include musicians, Fortune 500 CEOs, sports figures and even royal family members. One thing that most celebrities have in common is a need to protect their image. The way the public perceive them can have a dramatic impact on their continuing fame and their income potential. When someone else or another company is taking action against them in a way that will hurt their reputation, private investigators are often a go-to resource for finding out who is taking unsolicited photos or spreading rumors. These are situations where the police are powerless to do anything to get the situation under control.

The Cheating Spouse

Celebrity marriages are traditionally short and troublesome with few that last more than two or three years. When a celebrity is involved in a court case, property settlement, custody hearings and cheating spouses are open to public opinion. Private Phoenix Private Investigatorsinvestigators may be called in to find evidence that one spouse has been unfaithful, to assist divorce attorneys with any evidence needed for the divorce hearing, or to look for hidden assets that the other spouse may be entitled to. Finding an investigator who will work discreetly is a valuable option to any celebrity who doesn’t want to suffer the impact when public opinion does not go in their favor along with the terms of the divorce.

The Difference Between You and Celebrities

Although they may seem larger than life, the only real difference between you and the celebrities whose lives we are exposed to daily is the scale on which events tend to occur in their lives. No person wants to have things said about them that are untrue or be cheated out of something that they have a right to. Getting help finding someone or something that is important to you is not extravagant. It is simply the sensible thing to do.

Private investigators have the experience and knowledge of the law they need to help you resolve any issues that arise. They can use a variety of techniques, including surveillance to find out what the other guy is up to or sweeping your home for bugs to make sure someone isn’t listening in on you. If you have suspicions and no hard facts, that’s where a seasoned investigator can come into play and make a big difference in your outcome.

Skip Tracing: How To Find Missing People

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There are various reasons for people to become missing. They may skip town to avoid creditors. They may be hiding from the law because of a criminal act they were involved in. Some kids will run away and will not tell Private Investigators Phoenixanyone their whereabouts. If you are looking for someone and do not know where to turn to find them, Investigative Knights can help by doing a skip trace.

What is Skip Tracing?

Skip tracing is an investigative technique that will attempt to trace people who have skipped town so they try to get out of paying what is owed or avoid legal consequences. Skip tracing can help you get the money you are owed by the person who skipped out on their debt or it can help get a criminal tracked down and sent to court.

Why use a private investigator to do skip trace services?

It may be assumed that law enforcement looks into finding fugitives but they are overwhelmed with work. If a person needs to find a debtor or a criminal, they may need to hire a professional. It is more effective since a skip tracer will work until the cheat or unlawful person is find. Additionally, a professional skip tracer can employ techniques that law enforcement cannot use.

What is involved in the skip trace?

There are many things that go into a skip trace. It takes a lot of work and diligence to find a person who is hiding. Here are some techniques that may be used in a skip trace:

•Surveillance. Skip tracers spend much times observing. They may observe certain homes where the person being sought has been known to live. Many hours are used to watch for the fugitive in areas they are known to frequent.

•Interviews and questioning. Private investigators will seek out and talk to the people who know the target the best. They may try to convince the fugitive’s family that the fugitive should turn himself or herself in. They may talk to acquaintances as well to see if they get any clues to the target’s whereabouts.

•Background checks. Skip tracers and private investigators have access to establish the fugitive or debtors past habits. This type of investigation is helpful in seeing where they have lived before and other places where relatives may reside. The person in question may run to family when in trouble.

•Informants. These people are very important for private investigators to use; many PIs have a network of informers that work for them. These informants will often find out information through their own contacts.

•Impersonations and traditional investigative work. Sometimes a skip Private Investigator In Phoenix Aztracer may pose as someone else in order to get close to the target. Hours of research can be spent finding where someone is most likely hiding.

Using Skip Tracing in Courts

Private Investigators Phoenix require a license to provide skip tracing services to find missing persons, so it is a legal practice. The private investigator professionals have years of experience in presenting their findings in legal documents to the courts. It is ensured that their declarations can be used in the court cases they are a part of.

Types Of Surveillance Services

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Surveillanceis an extremely important investigative method. It may be the only available method in obtaining the information needed in an investigation. The successful surveillance result depends a lot on the experience and abilities of the private investigator doing the surveillance. There are many types of surveillances services including spousal Phoenix Private Investigatorssurveillance and injury surveillance. They depend on the purpose and objective of the client. It can be used to observe a myriad of actions and gathering of factual information.

Essentially, surveillance is the skill of observation of a person, place or some object that will be documented and to identify any contact, activities and locations. It is conducted to prevent a crime from occurring, to obtain evidence of a crime or wrongful doing, to document activities in or around a specific area, to gather intelligence for the basis of a future action, and to obtain information that can be used for court proceedings. Investigations requiring surveillance are missing person, cheating spouse, recurrent theft, vandalism, and worker’s compensation.

The type of surveillance varies among the individual cases. Private investigators have to decide which types of surveillance fit the situation the best for the desired outcome. The way the case will dictate whether surveillance will be done in person or by a security camera, for instance, depends on if it will be covert or overt and if the surveillance will be stationary or on the move.

Undercover Objectives

– Identify all people involved

– Locate contraband and or stolen property

– Obtain evidence

– Determine if a crime is being planned or committed

The surveillance services offered at Investigative Knight’s agency include business, spousal, and injured worker.

Business surveillance includes providing information on the products being sold by a business, checking into business licenses, registrations, permits and corporate filing, and investigating registered internet domains, among an array of others.

Spousal surveillance can range from hours to several months. Evidence is gathered and the client is updated regularly on how the investigation is going. The investigation will continue until the spouse is satisfied with the findings. The spouse can use the documentation in court to provide assistance with alimony and child custody cases. Spousal surveillance is a powerful tool to gather sufficient information to use for court purposes or verifying that the cheating spouse is indeed cheating or not.

Injured worker surveillance can save businesses thousands of dollars if the worker proves fraudulent in stating there had been an injury on the job. The private investigator can trail the person suspected of a false injury and Private Investigators Phoenix Azdocument activities that are not consistent having the claimed injury. Insurance companies use this to assist them in defending and denying worker’s compensation claims. A video surveillance may be ordered to determine if the worker is performing activities outside of work that may be outside the restrictions set forth by the company’s physician. The primary focus for the surveillance video is to decrease the value of the claim by the injured worker. This documentation can be vital to discrediting the worker’s claim.

What Services Private Investigators Provides?

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Phoenix private investigator agencies are here to help you with a surprisingly wide variety of tasks. Sure, they can do surveillance on a spouse you suspect of philandering. But they do much more. They can find family members with whom you have lost contact, or who have gone missing. They also are fully trained to conduct research necessary to track down assets, as when there are suspicions of embezzlement or theft. Other services provided by your PI will restore your assets and security.

Employee Research

A PI can track down anyone you need to find, even if it is a former employee or potential employee. Every job in which employees come in contact with children must subject the employee to a criminal background check. Private investigation agencies perform these services for school districts, hospitals, and daycare facilities every day.

Ancestry

There is a lot in interest these days on ancestry. Believe it or not, PIs can Private Investigator In Phoenixaid in that pursuit. They have access to the technology that can delve into birth and death records, but perhaps most interestingly, they can locate historical video, news footage, as well as performing historical newspaper research.

Phoenix private investigator agencies are also experienced in tracing a person’s presence on social networks and message boards, which can be invaluable help in establishing residences and lineage for your family tree. Many people do this just for the fun of developing their family tree, while others have issues with inheritance or health histories. In some cases, a person may wish to prove lineage with a certain ethnic group in order to receive reparations. Others wish to determine or prove they are related to certain historical figures. Whatever your need, an investigation agency can aid you in completing research on your family lineage.

Inheritance

You may want to find out if you have any inheritance out there that you don’t know about. It is not uncommon for a private investigator agency to find old tax records that indicate the IRS has been trying to locate the recipient of a refund. There are also inheritances that go unclaimed every year. Agencies will help you find any inheritance out there. It’s not uncommon for patrons to leave a certain percentage of their assets to people whom the family has never met.

In addition, stocks and bonds may sit in bank vaults for years because the deceased person had failed to mention them in his will. Knowledgeable investigators can track down the existence of these documents, and bring them to the light of day for proper distribution.

Land Ownership

Another area in which a private investigator agency can offer valuable help is in tracking down land and mineral rights. Some families have found that they should be receiving payments for water and oil pumping.

 

Investigating Suspected Infidelity Of A Spouse – Private Investigation Agencies In Phoenix

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Private Investigators In Phoenix Az employ several different investigators skilled in investigating suspected infidelity of a spouse. In fact, adultery, or cheating, is one of the leading causes of divorce among the 4 million people who live in the Phoenix area. If you suspect that your significant other is why-us-newcheating on you, an investigative agency. This allows them to assign specialists to various aspects of your case.

Suspicions

Suspicions concerning your spouse of loved one can ruin your relationship. You need to get proof one way or the other, whether they are actually being unfaithful to you or being faithful. Private investigation agencies specialize in this research. Then, you can move forward with your life.

Spousal Surveillance

One of the most crucial services a private investigator can offer is spousal surveillance. Surveillance experts are also experienced in family law, understanding the legal restrictions that might interfere with their investigations. This will mean that evidence gathered will be allow4ed in court, if it comes to that.

A private investigation agency will have a number of investigators who specialize in different areas of research, and an investigator skilled in surveillance is crucial to success. You will need access to detectives who can blend in with the necessary socio-economic environment, using state-of-the-art technology to collect evidence when watching.

Monitoring

Part of spousal surveillance is monitoring their every move. Your investigator will monitor who your spouse is with, and record wherever they go and what they are doing. He can do this discreetly, with utmost confidentiality. He may use a tracking device on the vehicle, and provide you with the software necessary to watch his or her internet activity. You can keep tabs on their chat room activities and emails, and see for yourself whether your loved one is cheating on you.

Asset Searches

Another service you can get from a private investigation agency is asset search. If you suspect that your loved one is hiding assets, your agency can assign an investigator who specializes in asset research. This will involve access to bank accounts, at times. But the detective may also discover whether or not your spouse has a hidden account, and where the account is hidden. Property and other physical belongings that are hidden from you need to be uncovered. This is often the case with divorce cases, when one spouse has invested or purchased without the other’s knowledge.

A private investigator doing an asset research and clear all of this up. Divorce proceedings will go more in your favor, with full knowledge of the assets of the relationship fully disclosed.

Computer Forensics

Besides giving you access to your spouse’s emails and chats, the Private Investigator In Phoenix Azinvestigator can perform computer forensics on the cheating person’s computer. This will track down the sources of emails and the identities of people with whom he or she has been communicating, as well as track financial transactions.

Private Investigator In Phoenix can provide you with specialized service in each of the areas.

Private Investigators In Phoenix

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Private investigators in Phoenix can perform a number of services to a variety of customers. A PI can do a background check on prospective employees, insuring that businesses do not hire someone with a record of child abuse or property theft. In cases where an employee might be stealing from his employer or selling company secrets, private investigators in Phoenix can uncover the truth very subtly.

Surveillance

Phoenix private investigators can perform surveillance that will uncover a lot of information. For instance, if you suspect that Private Investigators Phoenix Azyour company is being robbed, an investigator can set up surveillance on your property, and even in your office, to gather information and evidence of theft. This can include premise checks in which he or she observes the outside of your building and all of the comings and goings, or it could be security audits in which he checks your computer and files security against hackers and spies.

Computer use can also be placed under surveillance. A detective trained in the use of specific software and computer use can track browsing history, surreptitiously obtaining screen shots of employees’ computer screens to obtain proof of what they are doing or viewing on their work stations.

Lie Detector Tests

Investigators can perform lie detector tests. If you have a security problem in your business, you can hire him to do lie detector tests with your employees, and the results will be considered legal.

This is true if you, yourself, are expected to take a lie detector test. If you don’t want your test administered by the local police or court system, you can hire a private investigator to administer your test so that you know the results are not skewed.

Asset Investigation

Perhaps you would like to have an asset investigation performed. Private investigators in Phoenix do this a lot, for individuals and for businesses. In situations where there is a divorce involved, you may want to have asset investigations performed to make sure your spouse is not hiding any assets from you. With your permission, he can investigate bank records, phone records, and the location of physical belongings such as jet skis, boats, and cars. This can be an invaluable help in making sure you don’t lose out on the divorce, letting your spouse take everything.

Businesses also hire asset investigations, too. They often work on behalf of different business partners to discover if there are any hidden assets. For instance, a retiring business partner may wonder if his company has hidden assets from him on the eve of Private Investigators Phoenix Azhis retirement, so that they don’t have to pay him as much for his share of the company. Or, they may discover that the retiring partner has hidden some of the company assets for his own benefit after retirement.

Evidence that private investigators in Phoenix uncover can be submitted in a court of law. For more information, contact a private investigator of your choice.

How To Choose A Good Private Investigator

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If you are looking for a good private investigator in Phoenix, you have a lot to choose from. The metro area here has over 4 million people, and a PI can help you find just about anyone. Here are some pointers on how to choose a good private investigator.

Do an Interview

You will have to trust your detective or investigator with quite a bit of Phoenix Private Investigatorspersonal information, often including access to banking information, genealogy records, and information about individuals you are having investigated. With this in mind, you should make sure to interview your potential PI yourself. Don’t leave this to a secretary or friend. If you are not comfortable talking to the investigator, you will not be able to communicate effectively with him or her. Is the person’s appearance something you are comfortable with? Is he or she well spoken?

Many people have a pre-conceived notion of what a detective should be like. While a lot of PIs are former policemen and policewomen, not all are. You can tell within a few minutes of an interview whether or not you feel comfortable with the investigator.

Check Qualifications

One reason many retired policemen go into private investigation is because they know the law. This makes it much more likely that any evidence they gather will be admissible in court. Ask about licensing and credentials.

Private investigators should also be bonded and insured. This protects both you and the detective. In addition, the training and licensing involved with becoming a PI can give the investigator access, with your permission, to information otherwise illegal for him to access. You also want to make sure that well-qualified investigations are being carried out, and that your investigator can’t be charged with stalking, loitering, or prowling. If he is not licensed, both you and he can be liable.

Your Case

Does the PI have experience with your kind of case? Some investigators specialize in spousal investigations, while others specialize in genealogy or finance. If you are interviewing with the owner of an agency with several detectives in employment, ask how much experience in your type of case the detective will have. It’s always best to speak to the actual detective, rather than a representative, although you may find that some activities are “subcontracted”, and the contractors report only to the owner of the agency.

Communication

If, in your initial interview, you feel confused in reviewing information exchanged with the investigator, then he may not be the PI for you. Communication is vital in this field, and the PI should be able to make Private Investigator In Phoenix Azhimself perfectly clear to you. This goes for written reports and itemized invoices, as well.

If you are considering hiring a private investigator in Phoenix, contact Investigative Knights. There, you will find a team of licensed investigators ready to take on your case with professionalism and discretion.