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Family Law and Divorce Investigations

The senior investigators of Able Legal Investigations support clients' family law litigation needs by locating and interviewing witnesses; surveillance activities; historical and transactional research; performing forensic accounting analysis; collecting and reviewing evidence; preparing thorough, accurate and professionally written investigative reports; and presenting expert testimony.

Thorough Professional Searches

Our 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 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.

The Private Investigator in Family Law Issues

As private investigators we use modern technology and work in the background. Utilizing the services of an investigator can be one of the best moves a client can make to help his or her family court case.

Evidence of misconduct can be obtained via surveillance in divorce cases and in child custody cases. This surveillance can be done in person, or through modern technology via GPS tracking, and can find evidence of things such as: adultery, drug activity, child neglect, and other misconduct.

Document Your Finances before Filing for Divorce

If you suspect that your spouse may attempt to hide assets, it's best to start investigating your household and business finances before initiating divorce proceedings. Keep copies of important documents (such as tax returns, bank account statements, and pay stubs) outside the home if you're still living with your spouse or partner.

Common ways in which a spouse may undervalue or disguise marital assets include:

• Antiques, artwork, hobby equipment, gun collections, and tools that are overlooked or undervalued. Look for antique furnishings, original paintings, or collector-level carpets at your spouse's office.
• Income that is unreported on tax returns and financial statements.
• Cash kept in the form of travelers' checks. You may be able to find these by tracing bank account deposits and withdrawals.
• A custodial account set up in the name of a child, using the child's Social Security number.
• Investment in certificate "bearer" municipal bonds or Series EE Savings Bonds. These do not appear on account statements because they are not registered with the IRS. (The government is phasing out these bonds, realizing that it is losing a lot of money.)
• Collusion with an employer to delay bonuses, stock options, or raises until a time when the asset or income would be considered separate property.
• Debt repayment to a friend for a phony debt.
• Expenses paid for a girlfriend or boyfriend, such as gifts, travel, rent, or tuition for college or classes.
• Retirement accounts that your spouse never tells you about.

In addition, business owners may try to hide assets in these ways:

• Skimming cash from the business.
• Salary payments to a nonexistent employee, with checks that will be voided after the divorce.
• Money paid from the business to someone close -- such as a father, mother, girlfriend, or boyfriend -- for services that were never actually rendered (the money is given back to your spouse after the divorce is final).
• A delay in signing long-term business contracts until after the divorce. Although this may seem like smart planning, if the intent is to lower the value of the business it is considered hiding assets.