Increase Your Bottom Line by Hiring a Private Detective

Deception in all its myriad forms has become rife in our society, from cheating spouses and business partners to baseless insurance and benefit claims to widespread criminal activity.

The demands placed on lawyers, particularly trial lawyers, requires a level of expertise that can only be satisfied either by the expense of maintaining a staff of qualified experts in diverse fields or, as is happening more and more, by hiring outside investigative experts.

Outsourcing has become a highly cost-effective method of obtaining specialized expertise at a much lower cost than training staff or building or expanding one’s own skill sets within a limited timeframe. Lawyers are discovering that tapping the experience and proficiency of a skilled private investigator makes sense for a variety of reasons.

According to Jean Mignolet of Mignolet Business Research Consultants in Fort Lauderdale, hiring a private investigator can reduce an attorney’s workload by freeing them from tedious but critical meticulous investigative work, such as tracking down persons or performing forensic record examinations. A competent investigator can persuasively ferret out information from individuals who would be otherwise reluctant to open up to an attorney or officer of the court. And, with fixed or hourly rates that likely fall well below that of any lawyer, it can be a huge cost-saver for clients as well. In fact, hiring a private investigator can mean the difference between going to trial and avoiding the expense of one altogether.

In addition to performing time-consuming activities such as tracking down elusive witnesses or canvassing neighborhoods, private investigators can add enormous value by vetting witnesses, experts and accusers.

For example, when the social networking site, Facebook, was readying for its impending initial public offering (IPO), it was simultaneously grappling with a lawsuit filed by a man claiming fifty percent ownership of Facebook dating back to its origination.

It was only when investigative experts were hired was Facebook able to obtain the necessary information to get the case dismissed. These expert private investigators determined that the plaintiff had concealed evidence, doctored e-mails and the contract in question, and uncovered his criminal past. The plaintiff’s case disintegrated as a direct result.

A competent private investigator can perform detailed background investigations into everyone involved, often uncovering information that can make or break a particular case. In addition to vetting accusers and witnesses, a private investigator has the resources to research the qualifications of purported industry experts. A number of documented cases have involved embarrassing circumstances where an expert witness, upon investigation, was not the expert that trial participants had been led to believe.

A private investigator will come to a case with an investigative perspective versus a legal one, shedding greater light on aspects of the case that an attorney might not have time to consider. A professional investigator well versed in police procedures can find flaws in work conducted by police and the prosecution, and even shoddy or unethical work. Additionally, the private investigator can add enormous value simply by interacting with clients directly, which can save the attorney considerable time, freeing them up to focus more intently on the legal demands of the case.

Regardless of the circumstances, if investigation is necessary, hiring a professional licensed private investigator is well worth the investment. For more information, contact Jean Mignolet at Mignolet Business Research Consultants at 954.523.8737 or visit www.mignolet.com/