Are you owed a substantial amount of money? Are you thinking about entering into a financial transaction with someone you don’t know? Are you considering divorce but are unaware of the extent of your soon-to-be ex’s financial worth? If any of these situations sounds like yours, it’s time you learned more about asset search investigations and contacted our financial investigations division.
Asset search investigation is one of many services that may be provided by a skilled private investigator. Investigators are often hired by attorneys to do asset discovery during ongoing litigation and contract negotiations. A PI may be hired to discover a spouse’s hidden assets in a divorce case. Some attorneys hire a PI to do an asset investigation in order to determine if a lawsuit is worth filing.
How Asset Search Investigations are Conducted
There are strict rules about how and where a PI may search for proof of an individual’s assets. In most cases, private investigators are prohibited from delving into private bank accounts and IRAs without a court order. Nevertheless, this is crucial information, and an investigator must be prepared to use creative albeit legal means to do a financial investigation.
The first place an investigator looks for assets is public records. Real estate records can tell a lot about an individual’s primary residence as well as any land or vacation homes they may own. Motor vehicle and watercraft registrations reveal any cars, trucks, motor homes or boats that are owned by the individual under investigation. Likewise, the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA can provide valuable information about aircraft ownership. Corporate financial investigations can reveal a person’s ownership or partnership in an LLC or other business. If that business owns assets such as cars and equipment, those things may be taken into consideration when putting together a financial profile on the investigated individual.
Courts may provide public information regarding civil litigation awards and hefty settlements. Public info about probate filings may reveal a substantial inheritance that the person being investigated may not have readily admitted. Divorce records may be worth looking into, as well. In most states, when a person files for divorce, they are required to outline bank accounts, retirement accounts and valuable collections. The US Patent Office is another place an investigator may seek information. A patent may not look like much at first glance, but could be quite valuable in the future.
Why Hire a Private Investigator?
Usually our Asset Searches involve crimes committed against one’s property or they may also involve money laundering. Our financial investigation division may also seek to find evidence of fraud, theft, scams, tax evasion, bribery and embezzlement. But, whether you’re a single person feeling the effects of someone embezzling money from you, or you simply want to run a financial background check on another individual, our licensed and bonded financial investigators are up to the challenge. Do not leave your financial security in the hands of someone who is inexperienced in asset searches.
If you want to learn all you can about the finances of another person, it’s best to hire a licensed private investigator. A PI can approach the situation dispassionately and objectively. A skilled investigator also understands the laws as they apply to search and discovery. If you tried to do your own asset check, you could find yourself on the wrong side of the law.
