Private investigation services can be wildly helpful when going through a divorce. While this is especially true for couples with prenuptial agreements prohibiting certain behaviors and those with children, the hiring of a PI is something all soon-to-be single people should consider. Keep in mind that when you boil it down a divorce is nothing more than a financial agreement. It is no different than two businesses dissolving a partnership. Although it may be tough to take something so emotionally charged and examine it in such a clinical way, it will help you in the long run.
Businesses and business partners have a fiduciary responsibility to one another to act in good-faith to make the business successful. Even without a prenuptial agreement the same principle applies to marriages. Each person has a responsibility to the other. Evidence that your partner isn’t holding up their end of the bargain could minimize your alimony obligation or increase your collection. The way to get such evidence is hiring a private investigator.
One of the most common uses for a private investigator is their surveillance services. They have the ability to follow your spouse and document anything they do in public. This not only gives you a second set of eyes and ears, but also provides you with a credible eye witness who can testify in court. You have an ulterior motive, so it’s best to have someone who doesn’t take the stand.
While most people think of these services in terms of catching moments of infidelity, they actually have a much wider range of uses. A private investigator can document spending habits, drinking habits, and other patterns of behavior which can speak to someone’s character, or lack thereof. All of this can be valuable information when dissolving your marriage and fighting to keep what you’ve earned.
Private investigation services can also be extremely helpful in cases of divorce when children are in the picture. Custody proceedings are tricky, but the most important thing is your children end up with the parent who can care for them best. If that parent is you, then you need to prove it. This goes far beyond pay stubs. While money is a consideration, it is not the only nor the most heavily weighed consideration. In fact, if all you can prove is you earn more money, but not that you are the more suitable parent then you’ll likely cost yourself money in child support.
Hiring a private investigator to document and demonstrate why your spouse is not a fit parent is the most effective way to do this. Again, as we outlined above, drinking and other indulgence habits can weigh heavily on this determination. A parent can’t say they can spend more time with their child if you have detailed documentation showing they spend little time at home. They can’t insist they know more about the child’s health if they’re pulling into the Burger King drive-thru every day.
These things may seem petty, and they are, but they count. Remember this is a business deal. You would never let the partner running the business into the ground to retain all the intellectual property when dissolving that partnership, don’t allow the lesser parent to get the kids. If you already know these habits to be true then you need to hire a PI to ensure you have reliable witness testimony and photographic evidence. Do not let your divorce become he said she said.
One final way private investigator services can be helpful in a divorce is they can conduct financial forensics. Property obtained during a marriage, especially ones without prenups, is considered community property. This means both parties own an equal portion. However, there are exceptions to this; mainly inheritance. You can hire a PI to comb through all the financial records you have to ensure you have the evidence you need to protect your assets which your spouse has no claim to.
All told, there are many other ways private investigation services can be helpful in a divorce. At AEGIS Security & Investigations we can not only guide you through what is possible, but also set you up with a trusted professional who will exhaust every outlet available to them to make sure you get the best deal possible when dissolving your marriage.