As an investigator and a past litigation paralegal I think it is important for attorneys to consider if they are using all the resources they have to win a case(s).
I recently spoke to a group of trial attorneys about the importance of hiring a private investigator. The most common question was can’t my staff do the investigation in-house. Sure you can investigate your case yourself but that does not mean you should. Leave the investigation to the professional. Hire a licensed investigator with experience because they can be the most important asset to your case.
Investigators can help from the first client intake appointment to the final day of Trial. The investigator is trained to get a comprehensive history of the client’s life. Investigators can conduct interviews with the clients and witnesses in thier home at a time that is outside the usual 8 to 5 schedule. Interviews that take place at home during the evening or weekend create a more relaxed atmosphere which can lend to a much more productive interview. A good investigator knows how to read a witness, they are trained not only to listen to what is said but to also listen to what is not being said. A good investigator will pursue all possible leads because we know even the smallest detail can be valuable. Our skill set allows us to focus on the client, the case facts/details and the witnesses, while the attorney can focus on the legal aspect of the case. Hiring a private investigator is s cost that can be passed onto the client as a case preparation cost.
Considering hiring a private investigator for your next case, it could be the best money you spend.
Do attorneys utilize investigators as much as they could?
Portland, Oregon Private Investigator Dawn R. Krantz-Watts asks if attorney utilize private investigators as much as they should. Her opinion in a nutshell, is that they don’t. That if they did, the attorneys clients would benefit. Read more at her
Hello, I wrote about this very subject a few years back for a Trial Lawyers magazine. Good lawyers know what a good investigator can do. The other attorneys are either cheap or think their own staffs can handle it. My favorite analogy was from an investigator who said that it takes a lot of different professionals to build a house, or make a case.
http://www.spencerpi.com/ Go to the blue button that says How to Sail Smoothly with a Private Eye.