There are 21 legal fields practiced in the U.S. ranging from Animal Law to Tax Law. And over 1.3 million licensed attorneys nationwide work diligently to defend their clients’ rights and win legal claims and cases whenever possible. Regardless of how good or experienced a lawyer happens to be, at some point they’ll need the assistance of expert witnesses or other professionals to help them represent their clients’ needs to the full capabilities the law allows. So then, why do lawyers hire private investigators?
Locating and Interviewing Witnesses
A witness is defined as someone who has some form of personal or professional knowledge or evidence relevant to a claim or case. No court in the U.S. requires witnesses for a legal case, and there are also no limitations on the number of witnesses that can be called forth in a case. However, many lawyers will line up several witnesses in an attempt to win a case for their clients. The types of witnesses called can be character witnesses, expert witnesses, eyewitnesses, and fact witnesses. These witnesses can be quite difficult to locate, especially if they’re not included in the original case file. Many lawyers outsource the task to private investigators to save time and resources.
Obtaining Evidence
Most people think lawyers specifically obtain specific evidence, but that’s rarely the case. More often, private investigators gather evidence for cases. The lawyer or legal team will then go through the collected evidence and confirm what’s actually required for court. But in many cases, the lawyer is focused on legal documents, schedules, and other court-related requirements. All necessary evidence is still legally obtained by a consummate professional, but the PI focuses specifically on the task of gathering the evidence the lawyer requires for the case or claim so the attorney can focus on other elements.
Research and Surveillance
Specific cases require more than evidence that can be collected through a paper or digital trail. In the event of a contested divorce, complicated custody battle, injury settlement, or worker’s compensation claim, extra research, and surveillance are often required. You won’t find a high-profile lawyer going tailing a target and whipping out a camera to capture video evidence. They will, however, hire an experienced private investigator to handle and perform those duties. Fortunately, a competent private investigator will also have the right tech equipment to get the clearest images and audio so their surveillance work is court-ready without any annoying or unexpected hiccoughs.
Finding Extra Details
Lawyers hire private investigators who they can trust to know all the legalities and intricacies of the case or cases in question. As the lawyer focuses on the court regulations, guidelines, and document requirements, the private investigator will focus on any extra details that may have been omitted or may help to further propel the case in the client’s favor. Inconsistencies that the lawyer may have originally missed are scoured and filled in by the professional investigator so the case isn’t thrown out on a technicality. For these reasons, the right private investigator can be your best friend and saving grace when it comes to crunch time.
