Austin, Texas Private Investigator Specializing in Divorce, Child Abuse, CPS and Child Custody

Divorces are Awful: On the Homes and Rahe Stress Scale divorce is rated the second most stressful event with death of a spouse taking first place and imprisonment taking forth place. The expense, the loss of friends and family, changes in lifestyle and living accommodations, and the potential for losing your children can be devastating. Compound that with allegations of domestic violence, physical or sexual abuse of a child (either falsely accused or misidentified) or adultery can make a bad divorce unbearable. When the average person hears someone talking about having a “bad divorce” this is what they are talking about! Only persons who have gone through such an experience can truly understand what's involved. It can consume your life and in long protracted cases it can actually make you ill. Statistically, about 50% of all marriages in America end up in divorce - compare divorce rates here.

Tip!

Persons who generally do better during a bad divorce or child custody battle are those who are proactive not reactive. Gathering evidence can be critical for your case either pre-divorce or during a divorce, or modification of divorce. A private investigator In the long run can save you a great deal of money not to mention your children. For example, in the case of adultery, having photographic or videotape evidence of the offending party can have devastating effects and can be profoundly influential (and I don't have to prove this by putting a video camera in their bedroom). In a divorce modification, showing that your spouse continues to drink despite a Court Order prohibiting it and then driving drunk with the kids in the car (which is a felony in Texas if children are present) can put you in the right direction for asking the Judge for custody. It is not uncommon for Judges to award unequal property settlements during a divorce. That might mean the house, attorney fees, as well as the children to the unoffending party. Waiting too long or to the last minute to move your case along is another critical mistake. In complex child custody cases, evidence is gathered from a variety of sources that takes time and expertise to obtain and gather. If you believe a private investigator is needed the earlier he or she begins the better. Once evidence is lost it is usually lost forever.

Evidence, What Evidence?

As a private investigator it is my job to provide the kind of service to you that you ask for. All you might need is that picture of that cheating girlfriend or husband who is staying just a little too late at work. For many people they might just want to know for sure and use the information for closure or to make different decisions. Other times, it may be more complex if the information found may lead to divorce or other child custody action; or, if you are in litigation, providing evidence so it is admissible and has the highest degree of impact possible may be your need. Every situation is different and takes its own course with the personalities involved. Interaction with other agencies, such as Child Protective Services (CPS), or when a Guardian ad Litem is involved are also important variables to consider. Truly, a specialist in divorce and child custody issues is needed to put together all the complex issues and arrange them in a mosaic that makes sense in Court and to you and/or your attorney.

Ok, So what is the difference between a Private Investigator who specializes and one who is a Jack of all Trades?

In Texas there is no educational requirement to be a private investigator. A 2 hour test and three years of legal Investigative experience with essentially no criminal history would qualify a person as a Licensed Private Investigator. Many private investigators attain their experience from police work, or through the military, or perhaps, if they were an insurance investigator. Some I know of are ex-FBI agents. Other potential private investigators gain their 3 years of experience by working under another private investigator until that investigator gets his license to practice and he hires others to work under his private investigator's license, and so on. When it comes to child custody and complex divorces, you really want a private investigator who knows how to handle a problematic or difficult cases - not the retired FBI agent now practicing as a private investigator. For example, a child abuse case associated with drug and alcohol abuse and domestic violence requires a certain expertise, not only how to assess and treat, but how a given piece of evidence will play out in Court or have some other cause and effect, i.e.; How will this evidence impact the decision-making of an agency such as Child Protective Services (CPS) or how say, a Guardian ad Litem might consider an issue? Through my years of education and experience, I have had the unique opportunity to gain expertise in the divorce and domestic relations arena with a strong foundation in forensic mental health and in the Texas criminal justice system.

LICENSING AND DUTIES OF INVESTIGATIONS COMPANIES AND SECURITY

SERVICES CONTRACTORS : (This is the legal definition of performing private investigation work in Texas)

Sec. 1702.101. INVESTIGATIONS COMPANY LICENSE REQUIRED. Unless the person holds a license as an investigations company, a person may not:

(1) act as an investigations company;

(2) offer to perform the services of an investigations company; or

(3) engage in business activity for which a license is required under this chapter.

Sec. 1702.104. INVESTIGATIONS COMPANY. A person acts as an investigations company for the purposes of this chapter if the person:

(1) engages in the business of obtaining or furnishing, or accepts employment to obtain or furnish, information related to:

(A) crime or wrongs done or threatened against a state or the United States;

(B) the identity, habits, business, occupation, knowledge, efficiency, loyalty, movement, location, affiliations, associations, transactions, acts, reputation, or character of a person;

(D) the cause or responsibility for a fire, libel, loss, accident, damage, or injury to a person or to property;

(2) engages in the business of securing, or accepts employment to secure, evidence for use before a court, board, officer, or investigating committee;

(3) engages in the business of securing, or accepts employment to secure, the electronic tracking of the location of an individual or motor vehicle other than for criminal justice purposes by or on behalf of a governmental entity; or

(4) engages in the business of protecting, or accepts employment to protect, an individual from bodily harm through the use of a personal protection officer.

See additional informaion for licensure as a Private Investigator

I frequently get 2-3 calls per month from folks who are wanting to work as Private Investigators or how to start their own private investigation business. For the general public who is interested in hiring a private investigator, the following should give you some reassurance that the Private Investigation industry is tightly regulated by the Private Security Bureau and is a division of the Texas Department of Public Safety located in Austin, Texas. In Texas, one must possess a license to act as a Private Investigator and must carry insurance in an amount determined by the Board. Persons who act as an unlicensed Private Investigator are subject to fines and incarceration.

If you suspect a person is acting as an unlicensed Private Investigator report them here: UNLICENSED PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR or to the Private Security Bureau

If you believe an individual is following you who might be a Private Investigator, you can determine if he or she is listed as a private investigator by checking out the Private Security Bureau database here, List of Licensed Texas Private investigators.

Much like you see on television, there are strict confidential guidelines between a Private Investigator and his client. What you tell the Private investigator in confidence will remain with the investigator and will not be disclosed to anyone except under rare occasions as defined by the Board.

Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest,[7] it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 15th-largest in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in the nation from 2000 to 2006.[8] According to the 2009 U.S. Census estimate, Austin, TX had a population of 757,688.[4] The city is the cultural and economic center of the Austin–Round Rock Metropolitan Area, with a population of 1,652,602 as of the July 2008 U.S. Census estimate—making it the 36th-largest- and 2nd-fastest-growing metropolitan area in the nation.

The area was settled in the 1830s on the banks of the Colorado River by pioneers who named the village Waterloo.[9] In 1839, Waterloo was chosen to become the capital of the newly independent Republic of Texas. The city was renamed after Stephen F. Austin, known as the father of Texas.[9] The city grew throughout the 19th century and became a center for government and education with the construction of the Texas State Capitol and the University of Texas.[10] After a lull in growth from the Great Depression, Austin, Texas resumed its development into a major city and emerged as a center for technology and business.[9] Today, Austin, Texas is home to many companies, high-tech and otherwise, including three Fortune 500 corporations, Dell, Whole Foods Market, and Freescale Semiconductor.[11]

Austin, TX was selected as the No. 2 Best Big City in "Best Places to Live" by Money magazine in 2006, and No. 3 in 2009, also the "Greenest City in America" by MSN.[12][13] According to CNN Headline News and Travel & Leisure magazine, Austin, Texas ranks No. 2 on the list of cities with the best people, referring to the personalities and attributes of the citizens.[14] Austin, Texas was also voted America's #1 College Town by the Travel Channel.[15] Austin was ranked the fifth-safest city in part because there are fewer than 3 murders per 100,000 people annually.[16][17]

Residents of Austin TX are known as "Austinites" and include a diverse mix of university professors, students, politicians, musicians, state employees, high-tech workers, blue-collar workers, and white-collar workers. The main campus of the University of Texas is located in Austin. The city is home to enough large sites of major technology corporations to have earned it the nickname "Silicon Hills." Austin's official slogan promotes the city as "The Live Music Capital of the World," a reference to its status as home to many musicians and music venues.[1][2] In recent years, many Austinites have also adopted the unofficial slogan "Keep Austin Weird"; this refers partly to the eclectic and progressive lifestyle of many Austin residents but is also the slogan for a campaign to preserve smaller local businesses and resist excessive commercialization.[18]

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