A little over half of the custody decisions result in both parents or care givers deciding children should go with the mother. While that may work for some situations, not all divorcing couples come to an amicable arrangement over money, property, and raising their children. When you are in the midst of a custody battle, it helps to have a private investigator verify what you may already believe to be true about the background and capabilities of your partner to provide a healthy and supportive environment for your children.
What Child Custody Determines in Family Court
The final outcome of a child custody hearing should always be in the best interests of the minors. Sometimes the details of your ex-partner can come to light during a child custody investigation. This way, the presiding judge can learn the truth about financial information, how your ex treats your children, their intentions for the future, and if they have the resources to properly care for your kiddos.
There are various forms of child custody, including:
Physical Custody
The most common form of child custody is where a parent is granted the right to have the child(ren) live with them. Joint physical custody would be split on a percentage basis. For example, a 50/50 shared joint custody would be half the week with mom and the other half with dad.
Legal Custody
This is when a single parent has been given complete legal authority to make decisions about the child’s education, well-being, health, and other important choices. That means this parent can say the child will be raised Catholic even when the other partner wants them to be Baptist. There has been a lot of interest in this type of custody in the last decade or so related to vaccinations and if a sole parent can make that determination.
Sole Custody
This is a common determination when a child custody investigator is involved because it means one of the parents has been found “unfit” to raise the child on their own. In that case, complete custody is awarded to the other parent. However, there are nuances here where sole physical custody is awarded to one parent, but joint legal custody is awarded to both parents. In that case, the child would live with only one parent, but significant decisions would have to be made by parental agreement.
Joint Custody
There are a number of joint custody arraignments that get into details of what days of the week, holidays, and educational agreements will be made. This type of custody gets really complicated quick and is another reason to use a private investigator.
For example, if you believe your ex may be an excellent judge of medical or education needs but doesn’t have a safe home, you would want joint legal custody but sole physical custody. Or, if your ex travels a lot, you may request a joint arrangement where your child only stays with your ex for a few days when they’re in town.
How Does a Private Investigator Help?
A child custody investigator will gather all the background information and necessary evidence to provide their client’s claim about their spouse during a court proceeding. As long as this evidence is legally obtained, it can be entered into evidence. The best way to ensure your private investigator is following the law is to hire a professional team like those at Confidential Consulting Network.
These investigators will dig up public records, social media posts, speak with neighbors and other connections to verify all the information about your ex. They may even go into financial records and attempt to establish a pattern that shows where your ex may not be fully capable of raising your children.
This is a critical service for those families that have suffered through alcohol abuse, drugs, physical, emotional, verbal, or even sexual abuse.
Even if you are not able to prove a criminal charge against your ex, you may have more than enough evidence to show serious concerns in a family court that make the difference. Having a professional investigator put that information into a clear and concise report is your best bet.
What Kind of Evidence Will a PI Present?
A fully qualified and experienced child custody investigator understands the proper locating and presentation of different evidence needed during your proceedings. This can include:
Remote, Active, or In-Person Surveillance
The investigator is looking for evidence of how your child is being treated while under the supervision of your ex. They will document the treatment with photo, video, audio, and personal reporting according to the state laws you live under. This can be presented in court to verify neglect and/or abuse claims.
Social Media/Digital Footprint
It is incredible what we can discover about one another by simply searching our Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter accounts.
Most private investigators know how to dig through our digital trails and uncover those statements, posts, or associations that confirm a potentially harmful living environment. For example, if your ex has family, friends, or other relationships that pose a problem for your child, you can verify them through social media activity.
Testimonials & Witnesses
Witness statements given by upstanding members of the community are given significant weight and are treated as high-value evidence. This can impact your case by verifying your ex’s habits. For instance, if you claim your ex is an alcoholic and then present character witnesses that have seen them drunk in a public or work setting, this gives weight to your argument.
Background Checks & Public Records
A fully qualified PI like those at Confidential Consulting Network will have experience working with specific legally allowed verification procedures, including background checks, financial records, public legal documents, and more. This can uncover previous issues that may not have come to light during your relationship and often sway a judge over who should be awarded custody because it proves a pattern of behavior.
Private Investigator Testimony
An unbiased PI can give testimony to what they observed in the course of their investigation. If they witnessed certain behaviors, abuse, or neglect, their testimony is considered expert because they have direct experience in this field and can use evidence to verify their claims.
Where to Find a Child Custody Investigator
If you are preparing for a lengthy court battle and want to ensure your children’s absolute best safe and secure living situation, hiring an expert PI is an excellent choice. Look to our professional team at Confidential P-Eye Network. We have years of experience working within the legal system to conduct verifiable investigations following current standards and evidentiary procedures.