Written By: Henry Mota
Private Investigator & Ex-Police Officer
Henry is a retired Police Captain, he holds a Criminal Justice Bachelors Degree from Texas University A&M. For over 25 years, from thousands of domestic cases to now helping spouses uncover infidelity, Henry has seen his fair share of domestic marital issues. He is a licensed private investigator in the State of Texas and operates one of the largest Private Investigator’s firms in Texas.
Learn More: https://acespihouston.com
Going through a divorce certainly isn’t easy for anyone involved. Whether you’re the one who filed with the courts or not, the process is almost always a long and drawn out one that can be an emotional roller coaster for both parties.
And that gets even more difficult when young children or other dependent family members are involved. There are inevitably going to be disagreements over how to divide assets, take care of the kids and resolve other duties and obligations.
And that’s where the need for accurate information comes into play. Each side wants to see a fair and honest settlement when the process is finally complete, but that can’t be reached unless the court has the necessary paperwork on hand before making a final decision.
One of the best ways to gather that all-important paperwork is through the use of a licensed and professional private investigator, someone who can work on your behalf to ensure that you’re treated fairly by the courts during a divorce proceeding.
Private investigators are highly trained professionals who specialize in gathering and analyzing information on any number of issues, including often combative divorce cases.
Using methods such as surveillance, fact-finding and cultivating local sources, investigators can and do work diligently on your behalf to gather as much evidence as possible to support your case in court.
Some of the areas private investigators can help with in regards to a divorce case include gathering evidence in matters related to adultery, domestic violence and deceit, as well as uncovering any assets that may have been hidden by the other party.
Proving Allegations
If the case is classified as a “fault divorce,” this means that blame for the divorce is placed on either the wife or the husband, depending on the case.
This “fault” usually falls into one of many set categories, including either physical or emotional cruelty, adultery, desertion, imprisonment or others. But now that the case has been filed under those grounds, that fault must be proven to the court, just as guilt must be established in a criminal trial.
This means that proof in the case must be gathered, organized and presented to the court. You could try to do this yourself, but that’s not advisable for many reasons.
If you decide you might want to gather information in the case on your own, you first need to sit down and ask yourself why you would want to do so. You almost certainly haven’t been trained in this area, not to mention the fact that you’re heavily involved emotionally in the case.
You also run the risk of the judge doubting the evidence you’ve gathered, knowing of course that you’re highly motivated to present documentation that supports your case. Whether you’ve obtained that information legally or not, and whether it’s accurate or not, there could still be suspicion on the behalf of the court that you’ve fabricated the evidence in some way to support your case, an allegation that could be presented by your spouse’s attorney.
A private investigator, on the other hand, has been highly trained in gathering evidence in these types of cases. They know the laws they must operate within and are used to facing dangers when working in the field.
So put them to work for you, while you focus on the emotional toll that the divorce will inevitably take on you and your family.
Child Support
Divorces that involve minor children can be especially difficult, in many different ways. Not only is the health and welfare of the child or children a top concern for the court, but deciding how much one party will pay the other for the care of the minor children is always a big part of any divorce case.
Many times, one parent mistrusts the other so much that they’ll attempt to hide assets in order to avoid paying more in child support payments than they feel they should. They may feel that their ex will be spending that money on themselves instead of using it to care for the child, for example.
But whatever the reason, the children will always get top priority by the court and child support payments will be mandated in the final divorce paperwork.
If you suspect you’re soon to be ex is hiding assets or misrepresenting his or her income, this is another area where a licensed private investigator can help. By using methods that include surveillance, database searches, and good old fashioned interviewing skills, investigators can find those assets and present the evidence to the court.
Child Custody
Setting the issue of financial support aside for the moment, deciding who will actually care for the child or children can be even more important.
In many cases, there are extenuating circumstances in this area. If adultery is a main cause of the divorce, or if alcoholism, drug use or physical abuse are suspected, this is a case for a licensed private investigator.
These are cases that ultimately involve the health and safety of the minor children involved in the divorce, and it’s not taken lightly by the courts.
Private investigators can seek out and either confirm or deny allegations regarding any of the concerns listed above or another concern entirely. This information can then be summarized and presented to the court for a final decision on the matter.
Property Division
In most divorce cases, disagreement and arguments will come up in relation to how the couple will divide up any property or assets that were obtained during the course of the marriage.
This can involve things like houses, cars, savings and retirement accounts, furniture and any number of other items. If a dollar figure can be put on it, then the court will need to decide how it is to be divided once the divorce has been finalized.
Private investigators can help in this area by doing research on your behalf and determining how much your ex is worth and if he or she has any assets that are being hidden in anticipation of a final ruling by the court.
Investigators can also testify on your behalf in court, which is one of the main reasons they keep accurate records during the course of an investigation. Those notes can then be referred to while on the stand and under oath, strengthening your case in the eyes of the court.
Don’t Go It Alone
Just as it’s never a good idea to buy or sell a home without the assistance of a real estate agent, it’s also never a good idea to gather evidence for court without the use of a professional investigator.
Their assistance in these matters will be worth their weight in gold, helping you in ways that you may never have imagined.
They’re well versed in local laws and regulations, as well as how the local courts operate. So put their knowledge and experience to work for you during this trying and difficult time of your life.
It will definitely be money well spent!
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