How Investigators Help in Legal And Business Investigations

Do you need help with a legal or business investigation? Is it necessary to examine the behaviour of a competitor, employee, regulator, litigant or claimant? Perhaps you require a due diligence investigation into a potential business partner or a probe into a data breach? Business and legal problems come in a multitude of forms and can involve internal and external elements, sometimes concurrently.

A business or legal problem may emanate from outside your organisation, such as in the case of improper conduct by a competitor or by the opposing side in litigation. Alternatively, you may have an in-house issue – a wayward employee for example or an instance of workplace theft. Perhaps you are subject to defamation, threats, hacking or cyberbullying and need to identify the culprit. It may be necessary to prove a forgery or catch a fraudster. Regardless of the form of proof required, there is often a way to achieve your objectives.

Prudent business operators will promptly seek advice from a lawyer when a commercial or workplace issue arises. If there is any question as to whether the evidence needed to resolve the matter is at hand, it is sensible to also consult an investigator. In an investigation you may only get one opportunity to achieve your objective and gather the evidence or intelligence required so acting early and decisively is crucial. As lawyers well know, a dispute is ultimately decided based on the evidence at hand and as businesspeople know, the success of an investment is often dependent on the level of research conducted before signing an agreement.

When it comes to commercial and legal investigations, much may depend on the outcome so it’s important to use an experienced investigation team with broad-based expertise who can navigate unexpected complications that may arise.
Lyonswood Investigations & Forensics is the firm preferred by Australian lawyers and businesses. Over our 37-year history, by providing evidence, support and advice we have helped resolve almost every type of commercial and legal problem conceivable . Our evidence has been used in most jurisdictions in Australia including at the Supreme Court level. We understand what disputes can arise, how they can be resolved and what you want from an investigator or forensic expert.

Do You Need an Investigator to Help With Your Issue?

If you need evidence or information or if you have unanswered questions about a business problem then yes, you probably need an investigator. Sometimes that proof or information will be for court purposes – other times it will just be for your peace of mind. Regardless of the purpose, it is always worthwhile having a quick chat with an investigator to see if your requirements are something he or she can help with.

Lawyers are experts in the law – they know what civil action or criminal charge the facts of your matter give rise to, what your argument will be in putting your case forward and how the evidence will be presented. The crucial element in any case is of course what you can prove – if your evidence is strong then you shouldn’t even have to go to court in the first place. This is why it is sensible to contact an investigator when a minor issue arises, before it balloons into a legal dispute. Some of our best work has been in preventing serious disputes by uncovering indisputable evidence at an early stage. If the matter does end up in court, the problem for lawyers and for the court is that the evidence is often incomplete or unclear and this is where an investigator can help.

Lawyers are not experts at gathering evidence. They are experts at understanding the legal relevance of the evidence and at presenting the evidence. If you don’t have everything you need to seamlessly prove your case, an investigator may be able to gather that information or data for you. Keep in mind that it will be far, far cheaper to use an investigator to gather evidence than a lawyer.

Having worked for thousands of lawyers across Australia and around the globe, we are often surprised at the lack of knowledge generally in the legal fraternity about the full capabilities of investigators in the 21st century. Ensure you choose a solicitor who gives you every opportunity to gather the evidence you need to solve your matter in a timely and cost-effective manner, including consulting an investigator or forensic expert.

What Services Do Investigators Provide?

Some examples of the services most commonly provided in legal and business disputes include:

• surveillance of any party for any lawful purpose,
• forensic acquisition of computer / mobile phone data (including deleted data),
• the locating of witnesses/debtors/others,
• the interviewing of witnesses/informants/claimants,
• bug sweeps,
• collusion, conflict of interest and corruption investigations,
• background checks and due diligence investigations,
• handwriting and signature analysis and disputed documents,
• forensic analysis of video / audio,
• IP tracing,
• controlled purchases,
• investigations into trademark infringement, patent infringement, passing off, breach of intellectual property,
• disputed will investigations,
• family provision claims investigations,
• location of hidden assets,
• proof of income for child support,
• breaches of court orders in relation to child custody,
• proof of breach of apprehended violence orders,
• proof of stalking
• and more.

Our services are used in disputes in many areas of the law. In truth, we will examine any problem encountered by our clients and seek to offer assistance, regardless of the circumstances.