Determination of custody of a child is usually the most emotionally charged part of a divorce proceeding.  Parents will usually do whatever it takes to obtain what they want in a custody agreement.  They will lie, cover up, change their behavior in front of others, almost anything to get what they want.  Sometimes all they want is child support when they care nothing about the well being of the child.  Sometimes a parent will do whatever they can to get out of paying child support.

 

By law, each parent starts on equal footing when a judge is considering a custody

arrangement.  They will use what is called the “the best interest of the child”

standard.  This allows a judge to consider what the parents want, what the

child wants (if they are of a certain age), and how the parents behave to

determine the child’s best interest.  Oftentimes, the court will appoint a

guardian ad litem to represent the interests of the child.  It’s like the

child has their own attorney in the proceedings.  Sometimes, parents

accuse each other of behaviors that they consider harmful to the best

interests of the child.  Usually, a parent who is accused of harmful

behavior will deny the accusations.  If the accusing parent has no

other proof other than their accusation, the judge will not consider

it as a factor in the case.  A private investigator from Hawkeye

Intelligence can help get the evidence you need to show a judge

that your accusations are not just words but facts.

 

If you suspect that your child’s other parent is engaged in criminal activity,

you will want the court to know.  They will certainly deny it so you will need

to hire a private investigator to keep an eye on the other parent to attempt to

gain evidence of their criminal behavior.  Criminals usually hang out with other

criminals.  A private investigator can find out who your child’s other parent is spending

their time with and whether or not those people are drug users, drug dealers, sex offenders,

child abusers, etc.

 

Child abuse or neglect can be difficult to prove, especially if the parents aren’t living in the same home.  You can hire a private investigator to watch your child’s other parent while they have the child to attempt to gain evidence of any abuse or neglect that you already suspect.  For example, if your child is below a certain age, the law requires they be placed in a car seat or booster seat while travelling in a vehicle.  Some parents may neglect to do this basic, simple precautionary measure.  They will almost certainly deny it so you are going to need proof.

 

A history of complaints of violence against the other parent is something you are going to want to prove to the judge.  A private investigator from Hawkeye Intelligence can dig into the other parent’s criminal background.  Maybe even interview people from the past to see if they have a history of violence.

 

Drug and alcohol abuse are a plague on society and many parents fall prey to it.  If you suspect that your child’s other parent is abusing alcohol and drugs, a private investigator can keep an eye on them and see what they do when they go out with their friends or alone.   Do they drive while under the influence or intoxicated?  Do they pass out on the sidewalk in front of bars?  Are they secretly buying drugs at the corner store?

 

Sometimes a parent will lie or cover up where they are living because they know it will hurt them in a custody proceeding.  They may live in a home where the roof is caving in.  There may be garbage and broken glass everywhere.  They may live with their boyfriend or girlfriend while saying they have their own place or live with friends or relatives.  What about the boyfriend?  Is he a criminal?  Sex offender?  Abuser?

 

A private investigator can document whether a parent is getting a child to school or day care on time or picking them up when they are supposed to.  Many children have other activities such as dance class or ball practice.  Is the other parent getting them to these activities?  On time?  Are they picking them up on time?

 

The morality and conduct of a parent is something that courts will consider in a custody agreement.  If your child’s other parent is engaging in behaviors that considered immoral and are harmful to the child, a private investigator can acquire evidence of that.  Commonly, this involves the parent having an affair and bringing the children around the person they are having the affair with.  Even more so, if they are affectionate with the other person.

 

The suitability and acceptability of a parent’s friend and other associates is important to the court.  Who your child’s other parent associates with can be a factor when determining custody.  Drug dealers, criminals, sex offenders, abusers, etc. are people that you are going to want to know about.  If you don’t know who your child’s other parent spends their time with, a private investigator can find that out for you as well as whether they are someone that your child should be exposed to.

 

Custody agreement violations

Many custody arrangements require that a parent live with a certain radius of the other parent unless they get permission from the other parent or the courts to do so.  This does not deter some parents from moving outside of that radius.  Most times, they will deny that they moved.  Sometimes, they will attempt to hide where they really live.  A private investigator can check to see if a child’s parent lives where they say they live and, if not, find out where they really do live and where they are taking the child during their visitation.  There are some arrangements that require a parent to notify the other parent if they intend to take the child outside of a certain defined area (a county or state or mile radius).  Some fail to do so.  A private investigator can document this for you to show the court.

 

Sometimes a custody arrangement forbids a parent from associating with certain people when the children are present.  Some custody arrangements forbid a parent from allowing a love interest to stay overnight while the children are present.  The arrangement may also forbid a parent from taking the children to the home of a love interest and spending the night.  Most often the offending parent will deny anyone stayed overnight or they will deny that the person in question is a love interest.  A private investigator can find out if the denials of the other parent are true or false.

 

There are provisions in some custody arrangements that give the parent who does not have possession of the child a right of first refusal if the other parent attempts to locate someone to watch the children while they do something.  This is a provision that is often broken.  This is easy evidence for a PI to document.

 

Child support

Some parents don’t pay their child support and disappear.  Some parents lie about their employment or their income to avoid paying support or to pay a lower amount.  A private investigator can find your child’s other parent and/or get to the bottom of their employment status and find out the truth so that your children get the financial support they are entitled to.

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Do you think your ex is withholding information about reported income for purposes of child support?  Do you feel your children are in a harmful situation when they are with your ex?  Do you suspect that your husband picks the children up on his weekends, takes them to grandma's house, drops them off and doesn't see them until it's time to return them to you?  Is your ex-wife letting her boyfriend sleep over while the kids are at home with her?

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You only want to protect your children and be sure they are provided for.  Hawkeye Intelligence can help you gain that peace of mind.  Call or email now. 

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