Child custody disputes can be one of the most difficult situations a family faces. When a child’s safety or well-being is in question, a child custody investigation can help reveal the facts and ensure the child’s best interests are prioritized. Hiring a private investigator for child custody is often the best way to get unbiased evidence in these situations, helping parents navigate the complex process of a custody battle.
At Lauth Investigations International, we understand the importance of protecting children and ensuring their living conditions are safe and nurturing. Our child custody investigations are designed to gather the necessary evidence to support your case, helping you prove your position in court or disprove false accusations. By utilizing our services, you can focus on your child’s well-being while we handle the custody investigation process with care and professionalism.
When to Consider a Child Custody Investigation?
There are several situations where a child custody investigation may be necessary:
Concerns for the Child’s Safety: If you are worried about your child’s safety while they are with the other parent, a private investigator for child custody can gather evidence to show if there are any risks involved, such as neglect, unsafe living conditions, or exposure to harmful behavior.
False Accusations: In some custody disputes, one parent may make false accusations against the other. A thorough custody investigation process can help clear your name by providing evidence that disproves these claims.
Court-Ordered Investigations: Sometimes, a court will request an investigation to gather unbiased facts. This is where Lauth personal investigations step in, providing the court with a clear picture of the child’s living conditions and the parent’s behavior.
How Child Custody Investigations Work?
A child custody investigation involves gathering evidence that can be used to support a custody case. Lauth Investigations International offers a range of services to collect this evidence discreetly and professionally.
Surveillance and Monitoring
Our team conducts surveillance to observe the other parent’s behavior and their interaction with the child. We keep a close watch on the child’s daily routines to ensure they are in a safe and caring environment. Our investigators are trained to look for signs of child neglect or other risk factors, such as drug use, unsafe living conditions, or inadequate supervision.
By documenting these observations, we can provide the court with a clear understanding of the child’s situation. We also assess whether the parent is meeting their responsibilities, such as attending school meetings, medical appointments, and providing financial support.
Background Investigations
A thorough background check on both parents is essential in the custody investigation process. This includes checking for any past criminal activity or patterns of behavior that might impact their ability to provide a stable home for the child. Our team at Lauth personal investigations digs deep into the parents’ past to uncover any red flags that could affect the custody decision.
Document and Record Analysis
Financial records, communication logs, and other important documents are analyzed to see if each parent is fulfilling their obligations. By examining these records, we can provide a clear picture of who is contributing to the child’s care and who is neglecting their responsibilities. This type of evidence can be crucial in determining the outcome of a custody case.
Why Choose Lauth Investigations International?
At Lauth Investigations International, we are dedicated to helping families through these challenging times. Our personal investigations team specializes in child custody cases, providing expert services that ensure the child’s safety and well-being come first.
Choosing Lauth personal investigations means working with professionals who have extensive experience in handling delicate situations. We understand the high emotions that come with child custody disputes and strive to minimize stress by handling the investigation with discretion and care. We provide accurate, unbiased evidence that can make a significant difference in court.
If you are involved in a child custody dispute, hiring a private investigator for child custody may be the best decision to ensure the truth is revealed. At Lauth Investigations International, we provide comprehensive child custody investigations that give parents peace of mind and help protect the child’s best interests. From surveillance and background checks to document analysis, we gather the evidence needed to support your case.
For more information on how Lauth Investigations International can help you with your child custody investigation, visit Lauth Investigations.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) started a new corporate whistleblower test program on August 1, 2024. The goal of the program is to make businesses more open and responsible. This program is meant to get people to report wrongdoing at work by giving them money if they do. People who give information can then lose a lot of money and be successfully prosecuted.
The Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section of the DOJ is in charge of the program, which will last for three years. If it works, the DOJ may make changes or add to it. The main goal of the program is to improve white-collar crime prosecution by filling in gaps in present whistleblower systems. Companies need to be aware of this new development and make sure that their investigations at work follow the new rules.
How the Corporate Whistleblower Program Works?
The DOJ’s corporate whistleblower program provides whistleblowers with an opportunity to earn monetary rewards for information that leads to criminal or civil enforcement actions. The program covers cases where a whistleblower’s tip results in forfeitures exceeding $1,000,000. The potential awards are substantial, offering up to 30% of the first $100 million in penalties collected and 5% of additional penalties, up to $500 million.
This financial incentive could increase whistleblower complaints being made directly to the DOJ or through internal company channels. Companies receiving such complaints should act quickly. They have 120 days to self-report any issues brought up by internal whistleblowers to remain eligible for more favorable treatment, such as a potential declination of prosecution.
Lauth Investigations International: Ensuring Compliance and Effective Investigations
Partnering with Lauth Investigations International can help companies meet the strict federal, state, and local regulations governing workplace investigations. Lauth Investigations is known for its expertise in investigating issues like whistleblower protection, threat & violence, and other sensitive workplace matters. By leveraging their services, companies can ensure they remain fully compliant with Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) laws and other relevant regulations.
With Lauth Investigations on your side, companies can implement thorough workplace investigations that protect the rights of employees while safeguarding the company from potential legal risks. Their expertise in handling investigations related to whistleblower protection helps ensure that any reports of misconduct are addressed quickly and effectively, providing peace of mind for both employees and employers.
Why Companies Need a Strong Whistleblower Program?
The DOJ’s new corporate whistleblower program adds more pressure on companies to have a solid whistleblower policy in place. A well-structured program allows employees to report misconduct anonymously, providing a safe and non-retaliatory environment. To comply with DOJ guidance, organizations must focus on four key areas:
Effective Reporting Mechanisms: Employees should be able to report anonymously or confidentially without fear of retaliation.
Properly Scoped Investigations: Investigations should be conducted by qualified professionals to ensure fairness and thoroughness.
Investigation Response: Organizations must act swiftly after receiving complaints and take appropriate corrective measures.
Resource Allocation: Companies should allocate adequate resources for investigating complaints and tracking the outcomes to ensure no issues are overlooked.
Enhancing Whistleblower Programs with Lauth Investigations
To comply with the DOJ’s new whistleblower program, companies need to enhance their current whistleblower policies. This involves setting up reporting mechanisms, such as hotlines, and training employees on how to use them. By partnering with Lauth Investigations International, companies can ensure their whistleblower programs are compliant and effective.
Lauth Investigations helps companies develop whistleblower programs that include clear policies on whistleblower protection and ensure employees know how to report misconduct safely. They also assist in creating a company culture that encourages transparency and supports employees who come forward with important information.
The DOJ’s new corporate whistleblower pilot program marks a significant step in encouraging transparency and accountability within corporate America. As the government continues to provide financial rewards to whistleblowers, companies must be prepared to handle an increase in workplace investigations. Failure to address whistleblower complaints adequately could lead to legal challenges and damage to a company’s reputation.
By partnering with Lauth Investigations International, companies can ensure they comply with the new DOJ program, protect their employees, and uphold a culture of integrity. Lauth Investigations offers comprehensive investigation services to address whistleblower complaints, ensuring companies meet all federal and local requirements. For more information on how Lauth Investigations can help your company, visit Lauth Investigations.
Under ideal circumstances, no one will ever have to hire a private investigator for their personal or professional crisis. In the event that the need for a private investigator should arise, prospective clients should know that there is a way to save money when vetting professional private investigators for their needs.
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Private investigators provide a valuable service to both businesses and private citizens by providing them with the intelligence they need to make complex decisions in their lives. That being said, individuals who are looking for a bargain bin deal when hiring a private investigator find themselves highly dissatisfied with the end result. These are sophisticated investigations that require the best tools and the best expertise available in pursuit of the truth. That doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to save money when hiring a private investigator. The answer lies in the pre-investigation phase before you’ve officially contracted the private investigator.
Quality fact finding is the basis of any quality investigation. Private investigators spend hours at the beginning of an investigation combing verified databases comparable to the ones used by law enforcement every day. Private investigators run names of all relevant subjects through these databases in order to build comprehensive background checks on the subjects in the case. These background reports have to be cross-referenced with multiple sources in order to perform due-diligence. Private investigators must take extra care to ensure that they have found the correct person in the database before This can become expensive, both in billable hours and in the cost of these verified reports.
Clients who are looking to hire a private investigator can save money in these investigations by having a much information available as possible about all subjects involved at the onset of a case. When you hire a private investigator, private investigators will sit down with clients and begin taking an intake narrative. Here is the type of information you can have available to save the investigator some time and money.
Name
Ideally, you would know the full name of the subjects involved in the case. This is not always possible—clients may only have a first name, or a nickname, which will lead to more fact finding on the part of the investigator. Having a person’s full name (with the correct spelling) is one of the most relevant pieces of information you can have for an investigator at the onset of the investigation so it can be accurately cross-referenced during due-diligence.
Birthday
A subject’s birthday is the second biggest piece of information you can have when you hire a private investigator. A subject’s birthday is cross-referenced with their name and other pieces of information to ensure private investigators have identified the correct report in their verified databases.
Address History
It is not necessary to know the exact address of a subject in order for the information to be valuable to the private investigator. Private investigators can use an approximate location to cross-reference other information on the subject and develop additional leads.
Work History
Knowing a subject’s trade, the cities where they’ve worked, or what companies they’ve worked for can provide the same context as an address history. In a skip trace (subject location) investigation, a private investigator can use knowledge of the subject’s trade in order to predict where they might go next to find work. A subject’s occupation and how it affects their daily schedule can help a private investigator develop leads and identify possible surveillance locations.
Make and model of relevant vehicles
A subject’s vehicle, whether it is legally owned by them or otherwise is a useful piece of information for a private investigator to track a subject’s movements. Depending on the location of the investigation, it may be legal for a private investigator to track a vehicle’s movements with a GPS tracker. Using this information, private investigators can document a subject’s movements for the investigation.
Existing evidence
In addition to word of mouth information you might have regarding an investigation, the tangible evidence is also important. Any relevant documentation to the investigation, including financial records, court documents, social media screenshots, or voicemail and text records, can go a long way in saving a private investigator time during the onset of an investigation.
At the end of the day, the best thing you can do when hiring a private investigator is gathering as much information as you possibly have for a private investigator at the onset of the case. It saves billable hours, resources, and frustration in any investigation. When you have your information ready, you’ll need a private investigator who always sweats the details. If you have a personal or corporate crisis in your life, call Lauth Investigations International today for a private investigator who will leave no stone unturned. Call 317-951-1100 or visit us on www.lauthinveststg.wpengine.com
Corporations that have seen a decline in their corporate culture are turning to internal investigation and risk assessment firms for help in 2020. The discourse around corporate culture has evolved significantly over the last few years, with employees voicing their desire for work-life balance and how corporate culture directly impacts their decision to stay with a company. Leadership is better-educating themselves on how their actions feed into the cycle of corporate culture, and how they can improve employee retention by making meaningful changes that grease the wheels of success in their business or organization. However, many corporations have their anxieties about conducting internal investigations in a fishbowl—where employees are able to see the methodology in motion—and how this will impact their workforce and their business.
Corporations can find themselves open to scrutiny from both
their employees and their customer-base when they announce an impending
internal investigation. Some corporations, for a myriad of reasons, opt to have
internal investigations under a cloak of classification in order to protect the
integrity of the investigation—however, in the interest of transparency, many
corporations opt for a visible investigation, warning employees, shareholders,
customers, or all of the above, of an impending internal investigation. This
means that the investigating bodies will be under a microscope of scrutiny
within the corporation, as their methodology, decorum, and their practices will
a source of debate around the proverbial watercooler.
Regardless of who is contracted to conduct the internal
investigation, or under what level of declassification, if there is visibility
of an investigation, there is a delicate balance of transparency and
professionalism needed in pursuit of the truth. One of the most difficult tasks
an internal investigator has at the inception of the investigation is
establishing a rapport with relevant parties, such as leadership and the
workforce in order to garner frankness from persons who will be crucial to the
fact-finding process.
Investigators must establish credibility with the client and
relevant subjects in the case. This means ensuring those individuals are aware
that the investigator shares their values and is only interested in identifying
problems to improve the business—not damage it—indicating a high level of
accountability that will have a ripple effect throughout the corporation or
organization.
In tandem with establishing credibility, investigators must
be straightforward about their objectives, outlining what the client hopes to
achieve and their proposed methods of reaching that goal. Investigators must
never make promises they cannot keep by making declarations before they know
the facts. Corporate investigators must always pursue a resolution to a
business’s problem that does not impair their long-term goals—by the same
token, it is imperative that the investigator informs the client that there
might be some negative consequences as the result of their findings, such as
turnover, further inquiries, or bad publicity.
Objectivity is key in any internal investigation. It’s one of the reasons some companies elect to have a private investigator or risk assessment firm conduct their investigation, as opposed to an in-house investigator or member of house counsel. No employee with a stake in the outcome of the investigation, even indirectly, may be 100% objective in identifying pervasive issues in an organization. In addition to that objectivity, an independent investigator—unknown to the corporation or organization—investigators can move through a workplace undetected. This will take the edge off of the “fishbowl” factor that is common with internal corporate investigations. Private investigators can adopt a persona and conduct their investigations without the eyes of concerned coworkers; interviewing employees, collecting evidence, evaluating the location, and reviewing internal communications can all be conducted in plain sight.
Internal corporate investigations with a “fishbowl” factor can be an inherent challenge for corporations. Above all, it’s important to remember that employees are your greatest asset, as they feed into a cycle of corporate culture that can successfully stimulate your business or organization. An appropriate level of trust and care must always be taken when subjecting your workforce to an internal investigation. When employees feel valued, they will become empowered and engaged to give their best to the benefit of your organization.
Regardless of the industry, all businesses should be
vigilant with regards to employee theft. Employee theft can come in all shapes
and sizes, from an administrative assistant pocketing some extra Post-Its to
hardcore embezzlement on behalf of leadership. It can be easy to dismiss
repeated instances of employee theft as isolated incidents, implementing
disciplinary action or termination, and moving on with the work week. However,
many executives and managers may not realize that repeated instances of employee
theft could be indicative of a much larger problem in their corporation or
organization.
From a position of leadership, it’s easy to dismiss a single instance of employee theft; the employee is the one who made a choice to steal from their company or organization, and that employee was wrong for doing so. Discipline or termination typically follows, and leadership walks away feeling confident that they’ve removed a bad apple from their barrel. However, pervasive issues with employee theft are symptomatic of a systematic problem within the business or organization that go beyond a single employee’s bad judgement.
Why do employees steal?
The three most common reasons employees steal are not very
difficult to understand.
employees feel as though their employer has wronged them, or their compensation is inadequate.
employees believe that employers insure such losses—therefore it is a victimless crime.
employees know they will not be held accountable if they are caught
All of these reasons may characterize the employee as “disgruntled,” a term with a cultural context that often absolves the employer of any misconduct. When a corporation or organization has repeated instances of multiple employees committing theft, it’s a sign that the corporate culture of the workplace is less than healthy. A single employee pilfering staplers is not symptomatic of unhealthy corporate culture, but 5 employees pilfering staplers is a sign that employees do not feel valued, and therefore do not respect their employer.
The cycle of healthy corporate culture always begins with happy employees, because when employees are happy, they are more engaged, and contribute positively to the productivity of the organization. This pleases leadership, which incentivizes them to make decisions that raise morale, such as rewarding success with pay-raises, benefits, and thoughtful, constructive collaboration. The cycle begins anew with happy employees. Poor corporate culture means that undervalued employees will contribute negatively to workplace productivity. One of the ways poor corporate culture manifests is through employee theft—and it’s not just about profits or staplers. When employees are disengaged from their duties, they’re more likely to take extraneous breaks, or taking longer breaks than permitted, which is theft of company time. This often comes from a rationalized perspective, in which the employee does not feel their own time is valued within the organization, and therefore will place the same perceived value on company time.
Whatever the type of theft, repeated instances of employee theft cannot be ignored. It may be a sign that your business or organization needs a corporate culture audit. A corporate culture audit is like a check-up—when you go into the doctor for a standard check-up, they evaluate all of your major bodily functions for signs of disease or deterioration, and a corporate culture audit is no different. When investigators conduct a corporate culture audit, they evaluate all of your business’s internal operations, hiring processes, and principle employees for roadblocks that hinder productivity and contribute to poor corporate culture. The identification of these pervasive issues will lead to investigators providing leadership with expert recommendations to dislodge the blockage, allowing the cycle of corporate culture to right itself through cause and effect.
If you think your business or organization needs a corporate culture audit, call Lauth Investigations International today for a free quote on our Corporate Culture Audit program. For over 30 years, Lauth has been providing corporations with solutions to stimulate their business. In pursuit of truth, call 317-951-1100, or visit us online at www.lauthinveststg.wpengine.com.