Child Custody Detectives Directory
If you are involved in a divorce, or have recently established paternity, you may be interested in how you can gain custody of your child. It is no secret that in most cases the court system will favor the mother of the child for custody in contested situations, but both parents can use the power of child custody detectives to help them and their lawyers gather evidence on why primary or sole custody should be assigned to them.
A child custody detective is a private investigator who specializes working with parents and lawyers in helping build up evidence against the other party to help prove why custody should be awarded to the client they are working for. They will do this using a variety of techniques including surveillance, noting habits and any illegal activities the other party is involved in, and in some cases posing as a third party who asks questions of the party being investigated in order to get derogatory information from them that could hurt their chances of gaining custody.
The detective will work with the lawyer in laying out a strategy in which to conduct the investigation. They want to be sure to understand exactly what their client is looking for – are they out to gain sole custody or do they want evidence as to why they should be granted joint custody. It can be a difficult job, and many child custody detectives will explain upfront that sometimes the investigation may turn up very little that can be used against the person – sometimes people are good, decent people which is not a terrible thing in itself.
No one likes to fight for custody, and when deciding to hire a child custody investigator you should clearly examine your goals for trying to gain custody. Do you believe the other party cannot be a suitable party for which your biological child can grow up with? Are you concerned for the child's safety under their care? Custody cases can put unbelievable stress on not only the parents, but the child so it is important to examine why you want to involve the use of a detective before you begin.
Child custody detectives usually charge $50-$150 an hour, depending on where they are located at. It is the same pricing that they charge for most of their other investigations and the actual investigation is performed almost exactly like any other surveillance. They can provide video, pictures and transcripts if needed and most of them are experts at testifying in court and know exactly how to phrase responses, questions and scenarios to make it look favorable for their client and detrimental for the party being investigated.
Sometimes child custody detectives may be called in to provide a report of the child care after custody has been awarded. This could be because of concern by the other biological parent or outside parties who believe that there is something amiss going on. The procedure for investigating the suspected party is the same as preparing for going to court except in this care the information is presented to the party they were hired by and then they can decide whether or not to go back to court to reverse a ruling or present the evidence to have the custody stripped away.
Whatever the reason behind hiring a child custody detective be sure that you understand the emotional issues involved in such a situation. It can be a very difficult situation to place a child in, and should never be done out of spite or a desire to “get even”. Remember to put your differences aside and focus on the well-being of the child in this and every other situation.