Lawyers 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 help a lot in making a lawsuit stronger. But what if you’re looking into hiring a private investigator for other needs as an attorney? What other possible benefits can you derive from availing of private investigator services? We’ve compiled the answers to that below.
Strengthen Criminal Defense Case
More often than not, a defense case being handled by a criminal lawyer will not get very far or be very effective without the services of a private investigator. A criminal defense case can often have several moving parts and the defense team will usually not have the know-how, expertise or resources to tackle some of these moving parts in-house.
Predict an Opponent’s Next Move
Winning a case involves a lot of research, including researching the other party’s patterns of behavior. By knowing how an opponent thinks and what they usually do in certain situations as seen in past cases, it would be easier to plan out your next move.
Find ‘Untrackable’ People
Some persons of interest such as a witness have reasons to hide and do a good job at doing so. This is 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 out people who may be involved in a case no matter how weak the connection is. The surveillance work by private investigators on such people can uncover potential witnesses that can close a case.
Monitoring of Trademark and Intellectual Property
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 more problems.
Find Hidden Assets
In cases of messy divorces and feuding business partners, one party might hide assets to gain an upper hand. By finding hidden assets such as properties and money, 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 this type of information.
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 cross-examination and other similar scenarios ahead of time.
