How Private Investigators Can Help Attorneys

• November 13, 2017
• by Haywood Hunt & Associates Inc
• Articles

Attorneys hire private investigators for many reasons such as they often produce results that are more valuable in practice, usually charge less than legal consultants, and can assist in making a lawsuit stronger. But what if you’re looking into hiring a private investigator for other needs as an attorney? What possible benefits can an attorney derive from availing of private investigator services? The answer is a lot! We’ve compiled some of the most common services below:

Help with Tracking Down Heirs

It wouldn’t be possible for lawyers to complete their duty of distributing a deceased client’s assets if they can’t find their deceased client’s heirs. Using a variety of sources and methods, private investigators can often find these people when others can’t.

Predict an Opponent’s Next Move

Winning a case involves a lot of research, including researching the other party’s pattern of behaviors. By knowing how an opponent thinks and what they usually do in certain situations, as seen in past cases, it can often be easier for the lawyer to plan out their next move. This can be done by oldfashioned surveillance or by more modern methods such as open source intelligence / social media investigations.

Find ‘Untrackable’ People

Some persons of interest, such as a witness, have reasons to hide and do a good job of doing so. This is often a problem if a case rests on that person’s testimonial. By hiring a private investigator, untrackable people can be found faster and free up the attorney’s time to focus on other matters.

Name Potential Witnesses

A private investigator can find people who may be involved in a case no matter how weak the connection is. The surveillance work done by private investigators utilizing a variety of methods at their disposal can uncover potential witnesses that can aid in and potentially even close a case.

Monitoring of Trademark and Intellectual Property

Looking at the business world, illegal activities and counterfeit products linked to a brand can hurt that business in terms of marketing nightmares and dwindling sales. These unsavory activities can be tracked by a private investigator so the company involved can act fast and prevent further problems.

Find Hidden Assets

It’s often the case in messy divorces and feuding business partners that one party might hide assets to gain an upper hand. Hiring a private investigator to find hidden assets such as properties and money increases the chance that the case will have a fairer outcome.

Find Extra Cards Up One’s Sleeves

Information that can be used as leverage in negotiations can save lots of time because a settlement is far swifter than litigation. Private investigators can uncover all kinds of information about an individual which they would prefer to hide from legal professionals. Having the ability to deploy this information at the right time can be critical to the success of an attorney’s case.

Bring Asset Transfers to Light

Some people transfer assets to family or friends to avoid certain obligations (such as dividing said asset with a spouse). This type of shady activity can be uncovered by a professional private investigator and used for leverage (see the previous paragraph).

Help with Preparing for a Testimony or a Deposition

A report made by a private investigator complete with important details can help an attorney prepare for a cross-examination and other similar scenarios ahead of time. The wealth of information that a PI can provide can often be critical in bringing a case together.

Mutual Benefits

The relationship between lawyers and private investigators has been a long a successful one. As a private investigator, it’s worth spending the time to make relationships with lawyers as they can provide a bounty of work, with no advertising or expenses needed on your end. Once you make a good relationship with a lawyer, they bring the work to you. Now that’s a smart business move!

Haywood Hunt & Associates Inc is a Full-Service Private Investigator and Surveillance Firm, with offices conveniently located in Toronto and Mississauga Ontario. They offer Professional Investigation Services for Corporations and Private Individuals throughout the Entire Greater Toronto Area.