private investigator

Searching for Assets in Divorce

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Potential clients in the process of divorce often contact me because they are concerned about hidden assets. Often the spouse had a history of financial dishonesty throughout the marriage, or his or her behavior became suspicious around the time divorce was filed. It is not uncommon for there to be a sudden lack of money once divorce is filed. Previously, it was easy to pay the bills and pay for vacations and other extras. Now it’s hard to find money for even the basic necessities.

When a spouse is suspected of hiding money and other assets, professional help is required. But what kind of help?

It depends. There are two types of help that you can get for this aspect of a divorce case. The first is a forensic accountant who will essentially trace money through accounts, follow the paper trail, and determine if there is any missing money. This work is heavily rooted in the documentation you obtain. I can’t trace the money without the documents. Continue reading

Forensic Accountants and the Private Investigator License

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magnifyprintRecently the AICPA published an article on its Journal of Accountancy website regarding private investigator licensing rules across the country. There is a concern that forensic accountants may be subject to private investigator regulations since they are doing investigative work. The AICPA has drafted a grid outlining the regulations by state, but you should do further research on your own because it does not tell the whole story.

The grid provides the following information on private investigators in Wisconsin: Continue reading

Do Former Law Enforcement Officers Make Better Forensic Accountants?

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Today Brian Willingham of the Diligentia Group has inspired me with his article Do Former Law Enforcement Officers Make Better Private Investigators? While Brian agrees that experience in law enforcement can be helpful to a private investigator, it does not necessarily make that investigator better. The same can be said for forensic accountants and fraud investigators: Law enforcement experience can be helpful, but it is not as important as you might believe.

Brian points us to a video that suggests that: Continue reading

Hiring a Private Investigator

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Several times a year, I work on cases which also require the work of a private investigator. They simply do certain work that I don’t, such as “deep dive” background checks, database searches, and surveillance.

But how does a client choose one? There are over 50,000 licensed private investigators in the U.S., and finding the right one is often tricky. You need to be sure that the investigator has three characteristics: Continue reading