Investigative Searches » Hidden Assets

You may think that you can find everything you need to know about a person through public record searches or through a background check. Unfortunately, though, people hide a lot of information about themselves – especially when it comes to their assets. That doesn’t mean all of these people are criminals, but it does mean that – without some digging – you won’t know how much a person is truly worth without conducting a hidden asset search. Law enforcement agencies use hidden asset searches all the time. That’s how they monitor the “underworld” and look out for laundered money or shady dealings with offshore accounts. But even if you’re not a police officer, you can still benefit from conducting a hidden asset search. How?

If you’re in any of these 6 situations, a hidden asset search is a must-do:

1 You’re entering into a new business venture
Whether you want to invest in an existing business, bring a new business partner onboard to your own company, merge two companies together, or want to start up a new business with a group of investors, you need to know exactly who you’re dealing with. Unfortunately, a simple background check may not tell you everything you need to know. And if a hidden asset search turns up a wealth of hidden property or cash assets, you’ll want to think twice about who you’re getting into business with. After all, do you really want to rely on someone who thinks it’s OK to hide things from you?

2. You’re getting ready to sue someone
If you’re thinking of filing a lawsuit, you need to know what kind of assets the potential defendant has. After all, if the person you’re suing doesn’t have any assets, he won’t be able to pay a judgment even if you win; it’s no different than suing a rock! If you can’t find anything of value during a hidden asset search, you’re simply wasting your money on legal fees.

3. You need to collect on a judgment you won in a lawsuit
If you win a civil court case, the other party is not going to write you a check on the spot. Sure, the judge will give him a court order that says he has to pay you, but it will be your responsibility to collect. By running a hidden asset search, you can prove that the other party has sufficient means to pay you – and that he doesn’t have any reason to hold things up.

4. You’re going through a divorce
Unfortunately, when some people get divorced, they resort to sneaky tricks to keep their soon-to-be-ex from getting their fair share. If you’ve agreed to split all of your assets 50-50, you need to make sure that your spouse hasn’t tucked anything away in a hidden account. If you want to prevent things from getting messy later, you’ll need to do a hidden asset search right in the beginning.

5. You’re trying to collect child support or alimony
Sadly, it’s not uncommon for people to hide their assets and claim that they don’t have the means to pay their child support or alimony payments. And, unfortunately, public child support enforcement agencies don’t have the resources to track every evader down. If you want to get the money that’s owed to you, you’ll need to be proactive and run a hidden asset search to make sure that your ex is telling the truth.

6. You’re contesting a will
As painful as the death of a loved one can be, the situation can get even worse if the estate tries to hide assets from the will’s beneficiaries. If you think that the decedents will hasn’t listed everything, you’ll need to conduct a hidden asset search to find out what’s really going on.

To view a complete search descriptions, please select the one of the three hidden asset searches below: