Hiring a private investigator in your civil case can often be a good idea. It may be particularly relevant if you’re involved in a civil claim and the other party is being uncooperative. Their testimony may not be entirely honest or they may claim to have lost crucial documents or other evidence. As is common in many cases, there are many times that depositions will lead to one side disputing the other’s story — this happens more often than you might think. A professional investigator may be able to dig up evidence and prove which person is telling the truth, or at least provide sufficient proof to refute the other person’s claim.
In a civil case, the plaintiff must prove their claim by a preponderance of the evidence. This means that there is more than a 50 percent chance that the allegations are true. They must also prove that the defendant is liable for the claims. When this information is discovered before the trial, it is often in depositions, interrogatories, and witness affidavits. This information usually comes from your defendant and they may not be in their best interest to fully disclose all information. Relying on the information solely from these events will limit the source of evidence to only what’s provided to you by the other side.
A private investigator can help you discover what evidence your defendant is not disclosing. Investigations can help put together evidence that can be used in your civil case. Oftentimes a defendant will claim to have lost or misplaced an important document. A private investigator can help to locate and recover those documents so that they can be used as evidence. Private investigators can also help with interrogatories and depositions. The investigator can help to evaluate the truthfulness of the information based on the evidence they’ve uncovered. They can help prove if the defendant is acting in bad faith.
Private investigators are skilled at finding people and resources that you need during your case that you have been unable to find yourself. They have access to databases and services that are not available publicly or are very difficult to access. The information found by a private investigator can be used as valuable evidence or leads on potential witnesses for your case.
If you’re not already working with an attorney, it’s important to find one before hiring a private investigator. Private investigators are not attorneys. They are only allowed to do what is legal according to the laws of their state. Legal advice should always come from an attorney.
