There are currently approximately 1.33 million registered lawyers in the US. Of course, all are not equal. It’s a lawyer’s job to find and present the right information and evidence in court, and most are paid handsomely for their efforts. But even the best of the best rely on outside support and assistance to deal with their client’s legal needs and get the best settlements and outcomes possible. But why do lawyers hire private investigators?
Obtaining Hard-to-Find Evidence
Lawyers can verify that evidence is legitimate and applicable for any court needs. But they don’t usually have the time to scour for evidence for their clients. That’s where private investigators come in handy. A lawyer may hire a PI to specifically access and obtain hard-to-find evidence that their clients shouldn’t be finding on their own and the lawyer simply can’t. This can and often does include finding missing persons or people who choose not to be found by other legal means or authorities.
Finding Credible Witnesses
There are three types of witnesses used in a court trial:
- Character witnesses
- Expert witnesses
- Eyewitnesses
Witnesses can be especially difficult to find if their names were not included in the official report when the case was filed. However, solid and credible witnesses are crucial for the attorneys to win trials and settlements for their clients without dealing with extra time issues, unwanted judgments, and other unfavorable concerns. Lawyers often outsource private investigators to find credible witnesses for their specific client needs to significantly lighten the load on their end.
Surveillance Assistance for Illegal Activity
Surveillance is a completely legal and extremely powerful aid in certain cases such as divorce, child custody, and injury suits. Many private investigators are surveillance experts and have years of training and experience, not to mention the best and up-to-date equipment needed to perform the tasks efficiently. Lawyers will usually forego this part of the investigation and simply hire or outsource to a pro… which will be, of course, a fully licensed Chicago private investigator.
Monitoring White Collar Crimes
White-collar crimes usually involve large sums of money that are transferred via computer to other banks and shell accounts by ingenious criminals. These white-collar criminals know how to cover their tracks and the crimes are often well planned and transpire over a length of time to give little notice or warning until the task is complete. While white-collar crimes have declined steadily for the past two decades, they’re still occurring. And when they do, they can completely destroy the entire company. Monitoring these crimes takes serious experience and technical know-how which is all-too-often outsourced to a professional private investigator.
Finding Overlooked Details
Just like the attorney involved with a case, a private investigator will understand all the charges and laws surrounding the specific client. But while the lawyer works to follow all the laws and court guidelines, the PI focuses on other details that may have been overlooked or accidentally omitted. Police reports, photographs, phone messages, and computer activity are scoured. Locations are often revisited and scenes may be recreated. Inconsistencies that the lawyer didn’t notice can easily make or break the case. So when you’re ready to add a private investigator to your team, give us a call.
