Why a Private Investigator?

It is not always in it the child's best interest to spend time with one of their parents. However, for courts to decide this, there needs to be evidence. Some of the behaviors that could be flagged up include:

• Drug or Alcohol Abuse
• Criminal Activity
• Drinking & Driving
• Leaving the Child with Another Party During Their Allotted Contact
• Leaving the Child Alone or Unattended
• Having the Child Around Unsafe Individuals
• Safety Concerns For the Child
• Safety Concerns For the Child
• Concerns of Verbal or Physical Abuse

A private investigator in Knoxville, TN, can help provide evidence of these negative behaviors by conducting surveillance and using other investigative techniques.

Evidence Supports Your Allegations

Suppose you make allegations against your former spouse or partner regarding any negative behaviors that might impact your child. In that case, you need to be able to back up those allegations with evidence. It can be frustrating when you know there is a problem, but the courts cannot get involved in ''he said/she said arguments. They must base their decisions on legally obtained, factual, and properly documented evidence. A private investigator in Knoxville, TN, can help you to produce reports, videos, and photographs that can be submitted as evidence. These are things that can be used to make changes to custody agreements. Again, the key here is that this evidence needs to be obtained legally. A good private investigator in Knoxville, TN, should know what they can and cannot do regarding surveillance.

Establishing or Destroying Credibility

One of the most important factors in child custody cases is credibility. Suppose you are arguing over which parent gets residential or even sole custody. In that case, it's important that you can present yourself as a credible parent who has the child's best interests at heart. Courts will look at things like your employment status, criminal history, residential status, and even your current friendships and relationships. You can work on ensuring you have these aspects of your life settled to establish your credibility, but it continues beyond there. A private investigator in Knoxville, TN, can help question your ex-partner's credibility by collecting evidence of their wrongdoings and questionable behaviors. For example, if they can document that your former spouse has a roommate who is a convicted felon or has been using drugs, it helps to show that they cannot offer a safe home for a child.

When to Investigate

One of the questions we often get asked as a private investigator in Knoxville, TN, is when the surveillance or investigative work should happen. Ideally, the investigation should cover when your ex has the child in their care and when they don't. Even when the child is not around, your ex mustn't be engaging in undesirable activities. This includes their own behaviors and the people they are spending time with. If they are driving drunk alone, it is only a matter of time before it happens in the child's presence. That's not a risk you should take, so it is better to gain evidence of the behavior so that the court will side with you on not allowing unsupervised access based on this risky and illegal behavior. A private investigator can gather evidence to prove a pattern of this behavior. If you believe your child could be at risk with their other parent, you will need evidence to document that for the court.

Asset Searches

Not all custody cases involve concerns for the child's safety. Private investigators are also called on in cases where one parent claims they cannot pay child support. An asset search can uncover hidden assets that the parent has tried to conceal to avoid their financial obligation to their child.

If you need help with a child custody situation or any other type of investigation, Kendall Investigations is here to help. Every case is handled confidentially and discretely. We know this is a difficult time in your life, and we will be compassionate and professional as we gather the evidence you need to support your allegations.