Financial Investigations
All Asset Investigations are performed by Licensed Investigators and accomplished in compliance with all provisions of the Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (Public Law 91-508, 15 U.S.C. Section 1681 ET SEQ, 604-615) Consumer Credit Reporting Act (California Civil Code Sec 1785.1-1785.34) and the Graham Leach Biley Act Section 313.15 (a)(2)(ii) and as such the findings are court admissible.
Our Licensed Investigators can assist in obtaining the financial profile on any individual or company. Able Legal Investigations will professionally perform the requisite initiatives using a range of discreet and legally compliant methods to obtain the information needed. Able Legal Investigations provides the most comprehensive asset investigations available.
Able Legal Investigations, a premier Asset Search firm performs asset investigation initiatives for permissible purpose. The findings of the Asset Investigation are used to support civil or criminal proceedings which may ultimately result in a court ordered demand for information (subpoenas) or restraining and attachment notices. Specific disciplines are maintained in:
- locating hidden assets in offshore "safe havens" and domestic accounts
- due diligence examinations for the benefit of contemplated transactions
- litigation support with specific reference to Judicial Judgment Enforcement and Potential Judgment Recovery Analysis
Our services often include:
US-based and Foreign Companies
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address history
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background information
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bankruptcies
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collection matters, judgments and liens
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business affiliations and contacts
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business bank account
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business profile
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corporate/non-profit Federal tax filings
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credit and financial information
- domestic asset search
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entity identification
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media database search
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officer/principal identification
- offshore asset search
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real property ownership and transactions
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SEC records search
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share structure/ownership
- stock equity asset search
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vehicle, aircraft and watercraft ownership
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UCC filings
Individuals
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address history
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bank/credit union account
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bankruptcies
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business affiliations
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collection matters, judgments and liens
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credit reports
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current liabilities
- domestic asset search
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family history
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financial institution inquiries
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investment/brokerage account Tier I *
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link analysis
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litigation history
- offshore asset search
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professional license search
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real property ownership and transactions
- stock equity asset search
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subject identification
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vehicle, aircraft and watercraft ownership
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UCC filings
- * Tier I Brokerage Houses maintain 500 to 5000+ agents
Frequently Asked Questions in Asset Search Inquires
Q: What does an asset search cover?
A: Our asset searches look for real and personal property, interests in properties and business activities, and other financial and business assets, including bank accounts, safe deposit boxes, stocks, bonds, accounts receivable, royalties, patents, etc. Additionally, we examine assets of spouses and family members for possible transfers, and corporations associated with the subject and his/her partners. We identify individuals or entities that can provide leads and directions through a scrutiny of the individual's life style, litigation history and relationships in order to discover hidden assets.
Q: My client has already lost a great deal of money. Does it make sense to incur additional expense searching for possible hidden assets to satisfy the judgment?
A: Able Legal Investigations works in a phased approach. Phase I, conducted at minimal expense, develops financial information on the subject and his family members, current activity, life style and resources in the U.S. Bank account assets located in the U.S. are frozen through a restraining notice, whereupon the client's attorney can have the sheriff levy on the accounts. Even if these findings are under $50,000, they can provide funding for Phase II investigation, which should be initiated only if there is strong reason to believe assets are secreted in other states or offshore. Penetrating offshore bank accounts is generally costly; however, the staged approach can give strong indications early in the case if assets are secreted elsewhere, before large amounts of money are expended.
Q: What information do you need to initiate an asset search?
A: Able Legal Investigations needs the name, address, social security number and date of birth at minimum to initiate an asset search. Also desirable are names of family members, names of current and prior companies and geographical locations where the subject has lived, as well as any background information in your files, e.g., financial statements, tax returns, loan documents, depositions, travel and expense reports, etc. Able Legal Investigations is also interested in any information on international travel or copies of a passport. Added information reduces the cost of the asset search investigation.
Able Legal Investigations employs a network of resources to assist in the location of undisclosed assets.
A Network of Resources
Our premier investigative firm maintains a unique position as an international company that assists the personal, business, legal and financial communities by performing due diligence for contemplated transactions and by providing litigation support fact finding and asset search and recovery services for divorce and other family law issues, bankruptcies or defaulted loans.
Able Legal Investigations' abilities are unique and we have extensive sources world-wide, We associate with members of the investigative community as well prior intelligence officers. Our investigators utilize findings drawn from a network of law enforcement organizations, insurance companies and other unique sources. The inquiries and facts obtained are entirely confidential and are obtained in compliance with all applicable law.
Asset Search And Recovery
Able Legal Investigations' asset searches include link analysis, fund traces, hidden asset searches and analysis of fraudulent transfers, as well as investigative techniques to generate additional leads.
Able Legal Investigations has developed the unique capability to locate assets that have been hidden from collection in international "safe havens" as well as in domestic bank and brokerage accounts and has been successful in these initiatives for over 15 years. Asset searches are used not only in bankruptcy and defaulted debt situations, but also in divorce cases where substantial family wealth is being divided between two parties and other family law cases. Where collection of a judgment is involved, we work as a team with legal counsel to use our international experience and resources to assist in freezing assets for later collection.
Financial Investigation
The Initiatives involved in the performance of Financial Investigations are often difficult as a result of the fact that the required financial records are closely held, intentionally altered , hidden, or are benefited by financial privacy laws and circumstance. Commonly one finds that the information is available but is so disjointed, or the volume so great that it needs analysis, or more importantly significant interpretation.
Whatever situation you are facing, our resident financial investigators and experts are available to provide assistance. Should you require a financial inquiry which involves itself in misconduct, dispute resolution, due diligence, asset recovery, or litigation, Able Legal Investigations maintains the ability and background that allows for a significant difference.
The financial investigators and research analysts of Able Legal Investigations often work together to identify, trace, research financial records and information. The investigators will verify, scrutinize, organize, and then provide accurate financial information and summary which are understandable and presented in a form that is admissible in court proceedings. The ability and background in these areas has made us proficient in finding and explaining accounting records and financial information and as such sets us apart from many more broad based investigative firms.
A successfully performed financial investigation does require specialized knowledge and experience. Our financial investigative experts have the benefit of years of experience in reviewing financial records and in providing discovery of fiscal misrepresentations and asset misappropriation. This experience also transcends into areas such as bankruptcy fraud, money laundering, internal and external corporate fraud, embezzlement, theft of intellectual property., financial institution fraud, healthcare fraud, identity theft, securities fraud and environmental liability
The computer forensics experts in our firm maintain the ability to recover and analyze computers for lost or deleted data, and provide evidence as to how to the computer was actually employed, at the same time preserving the evidence for discovery purposes. This initiative is performed in conjunction with the financial investigation experts to allow the process to be accomplished in a manner consistent with the scope of the investigation.
Should you or your business determine that there exists a present need for an answer to financial questions, or an investigation into financial issues or disagreements, Able Legal Investigations maintains the background and experience to assist in these matters.
Litigation Support/
Competitor Investigations
Is your competition succeeding because they have vital information about your research, operations, markets, customers, products and resources? Able Legal Investigations provides litigation support intelligence as well as competitor intelligence.
Able Legal Investigations develops a customized investigative strategy for US-based and foreign business entities, and for individuals, to support a potential recovery analysis in civil cases, as well as such matters as automobile accidents and other personal injury cases, class actions, collections, judgments and torts.
All inquiries are conducted tactfully, and in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act and other applicable Federal, state and local statutes, rules and regulations. In addition, the results of each asset search are presented in a clear, concise and user-friendly report.
Asset Recovery
In order to recover stolen or misappropriated assets, you will need a team of forensic accountants capable of determining how your money or business assets have been used or hidden. The expert team of forensic accountants and investigators at Able Legal Investigations has the experience it takes to evaluate complex financial transactions and to trace the assets through a tangle of records, companies, and financial entities designed to hold or hide the misappropriated funds.
Every day that passes once monetary assets have been stolen or misappropriated gives the offender time to more effectively hide the funds, move the funds into undisclosed entities, into shell corporations, or into offshore accounts. The longer the offender has control of your misappropriated funds, the more difficult the recovery process is likely to be.
Should you be owed money, have a court ordered judgment, or suspect that you are being defrauded, an asset recovery specialist can help you conduct an economic crime investigation. We can uncover individual and corporate corruption, expose money laundering as the method used to hide or move the assets, trace ownership of assets and property, valuate assets of an individual or business, and utilize forensic investigation techniques to analyze your computers for electronic evidence and to recover lost or erased computer data. The team of asset recovery specialists at Able Legal Investigations has demonstrated success in numerous asset recovery matters and will conduct a preliminary investigation to assess your potential for asset recovery. Our initial investigation will search for evidence of available assets, examine available financial information, and may also include interviews of pivotal individuals. We will also help you evaluate the vulnerabilities that allowed your assets to be misappropriated in the first place. We can then develop a recovery strategy, track the funds through the banking system, assist you or your attorney with judgment enforcement actions, and help you recover your stolen funds or company assets.
Additionally, our background and reputation allows us to effectively serve as liaison with law enforcement and prosecutors, if warranted, to bring a criminal case against the offenders.
Permissible Purposes
Please see our section on Permissible Purposes.
