How To Prove Income During COVID-19

In the current world, investigators and clients alike are often at their wits end. They must determine if someone is working or if they are receiving income or benefits that they are failing to disclose to the court. On the surface it seems like an impossible task. How can you know what you can’t readily see? How can you prove income?

To be honest, it can be very difficult to figure out. In some cases, privacy laws or jurisdictional red tape can make it a very expensive or complicated thing to learn. Even more so to document and ultimately present to the courts. However, it’s not impossible and with the right investigative support, your answers can still be found.

How can this information be uncovered?

Let’s consider a client that “knows” her ex sells high-value goods, like helicopters and luxury cars but can’t “prove it”. An investigator can conduct background research and look into the business(es) that the ex is involved with. They can thus determine if the ex is still entitled to legal proceeds from the business(es). Further to this, perhaps some pretense calling is in order to hear it from the ex or his associates themselves? Follow that up with thorough internet research and social media research (because everybody needs to advertise somewhere) and before you know it, you have a fairly well-documented state of events.

Maybe the ex is a blue-collar worker? The type that traditionally went to job sites and completed renovations, etc. It may surprise you to learn that although many tradespeople were laid-off or chose to step away from their normal employer in order to adhere to local rules and to qualify for CERB benefits, many of these same people began to take on projects directly (under the table) or for alternate employers and therefore continued to earn an income that they didn’t report. In this situation, traditional surveillance may be the best method for confirming suspicions. There may also be some research avenues to consider to prove income.

Perhaps, the ex is a white collar office worker that is now working from home. While many might suggest that surveillance is a great option – it might not be the best solution if your ex doesn’t leave the house much. In this case, research and pretense calls may provide the basic answers that your looking for. Of course, surveillance could come in to play if your ex is going out to shop often or having frequent paid deliveries to their residence. It really depends on case to case circumstances.

Not every scenario will play out the same and it makes a big difference who you engage to conduct your investigation(s). Going it alone could expose you to liability and choosing an under-qualified investigator could cause the cost of the investigation to become unnecessarily high.

Signs for Investigators

Here are some flags to look out for when looking for an investigator for this type of investigation:

• Anybody that tells you they can provide you with bank records or credit card statements. (This is not legal and you could become liable)
• Anybody that guarantees that they never lose a subject. (Everybody loses a subject at some point. If they guarantee that they never lose a subject then you can be sure they are willing to falsify your report or employ an illegal GPS unit.)
• Anybody that guarantees that they will provide you with a specific outcome. (The only way to guarantee a specific outcome is to omit facts or alter evidence. If you get caught – you are liable for their misdeeds.)
• Be cautious of anyone offering a low hourly rate. (They usually make up for the difference to other firms by increasing the number of required hours and adding hidden fees.)

Remember, while there is no harm in hiring an investigator directly, most clients are best served by retaining an investigator through their legal counsel. This helps to ensure that vital information is understood by your legal team while maintaining the necessary confidence. Thank you for reading. Please like and share this article and find more articles here!