Skip tracing is a technique used by private investigators to trace and locate people who have disappeared, whether intentionally, or not. Skip tracing is a service that involves collecting as much information as possible about people who are missing, and then analyzing and verifying the information in order to locate them. Individuals who perform this service are often called skip tracers. A licensed private investigator can help with skip tracing and other investigation services.
Process service, also known as “service of process,” is the legal procedure required by courts and other tribunals of giving notice to all parties when facing legal action against them in a court of law or an administrative court.
Notice is given to ensure parties are aware of:
Notice is served to the party whom the legal action is directed through the delivery of documents (called process) describing the legal action.
Although generally documents may be served by any individual over the age of 18 in Ontario, most often a professional process server is hired to ensure that the papers are properly served according to provincial rules and guidelines, guaranteeing that the service is recognized by the courts.
The method of delivery, or service, may differ depending on the type of documents, and the rules of the court in which the legal action is taking place.
A private Investigator is usually hired to conduct a background check when someone has an interest in, or a concern about the character, integrity, credibility, or financial stability of someone else. Background checks are done for a number of reasons. Two of the most common are for employment and child custody disputes.
Domestic disputes and investigations can come in a variety of forms. This can range from locating an ex-spouse for child and/or spousal support or locating their hidden assets, to finding abducted children, child custody investigations, and finding spouses due to marital affairs.
A licensed private investigator is often hired by employers or its insurers to determine if an employee injured on the job is exaggerating either the extent of the injury, or the lack of recovery , in order to continue receiving benefits. This is a form of insurance fraud. Other forms of fraud investigations include situations such as embezzling and accounting fraud, investment scams, identity theft, healthcare fraud, asset misappropriation, bankruptcy fraud, etc.
A licensed private investigator will sometimes be hired by employers to work undercover at their establishment to determine if employees are stealing money or assets from the company, or causing another form of damage.
Private Investigators may also find themselves hired by charity or not for profit organizations, such as animal rights groups, to work undercover to obtain evidence of certain groups causing inhumane or unethical harm.
Intellectual property (IP) is the end product of human creativity and expression. Music, writing, paintings, computer software, inventions, industrial processes, and many other original creative endeavors can be intellectual property.
In Canada, IP law recognizes that original creators in our society should have special rights. For instance, they should be compensated for use of their IP, or have the authority to stop others from using or selling their invention or work. The growing use of technologies, such as the Internet, have increased the danger that IP rights will be violated or abused.
A licensed private investigator is often hired to look into claims of copyright abuse, patent infringement, unauthorized use of trademarks, trade secret breaches, data breaches and IP leaks, and product copy and brand imitation.