LEGAL ASSET INVESTIGATIONS

The asset search is used to reveal the financial profile of an individual or business. The asset search can be useful in matters involving litigation and in general business law. There are several levels of the asset search, from a basic search of public records to very thorough “deep” asset investigations, which can reveal hidden assets such as offshore accounts. (If you are looking for an asset search in another areas, select Personal Asset Investigatons or Business Asset Recovery.)

Legal Asset Investigation Options

Legal Asset Investigations

Level 1 Asset Search – $250

Basic CYA Profile for case settlement

  • Name and social security number verification
  • Real property search by name and address and vehicle ownership search
  • Fictitious business (DBAs), Corporate president and agent for service searches, Uniform Commercial Code filings, Superior civil court cases, etc.
  • For case settlement

Level 1 Asset Search Flex – $185 – 485

Sliding Scale CYA Asset Search for case settlement – Cost depends on the amount of assets found

  • Comprehensive Asset profile includes all Level 1 and 2 searches
  • $185 for subjects with no assets
  • Cost for found assets ranges from $250 to $485 depending on level of assets found
  • For case settlement

Level 2 Asset Search – $485

Comprehensive Asset Profile – Includes Real Property Equity

  • Includes all Level 1 Asset searches plus:
  • Statewide bankruptcies, tax liens, judgments, evictions, foreclosures and notices of default
  • Real property equity assessment, with trust deeds and current market value
  • Limited partnerships, statewide professional licenses, Board of Equalization and watercraft
  • Social Security fraud scan for aliases, false Social Security numbers and names of relatives

Level 2 Plus Asset Search – $750

Asset Search and Background Check Combination

  • Includes all Level 1 and Level 2 Asset searches plus Background Check:
  • Fraud scan for aliases and false Social Security numbers and address history with dates of residence
  • Criminal search (felonies/misdemeanors), Federal Civil Index and sex offender registry
  • Driver record (DUIs, suspended license, accidents, violations), divorces, age confirmation, address history with dates of residence

Level 3 Asset Search – $1,185

Asset Search with Bank Accounts

  • Includes all Level 1 and 2 searches
  • Statewide research for financial institution affiliations, all accounts included
  • Bank Account estimated balance(s)

Level 3 Assets Plus – $1,435

Assets/Banks/Background Check Combination

  • Includes all Level 1 and Level 2 Asset searches plus Background Check
  • Statewide research for financial institution affiliations, all accounts included
  • Bank Account estimated balance(s)
  • Fraud scan for aliases and false Social Security numbers and address history with dates of residence
  • Criminal search (felonies/misdemeanors), Federal Civil Index and sex offender registry
  • Driver record (DUIs, suspended license, accidents, violations), divorces, age confirmation, address history with dates of residence

Level 4 Asset Search – $1,985

Asset Search with Bank Accounts and Stocks and Bonds.

  • Comprehensive search for stocks, bonds and mutual funds
  • Brokerage accounts estimated value(s)

Level 5 Asset Search – $3,000 and up

Nationwide Search Or Ask for Offshore Bank Search Quote

  • Reverse search asset scan for concealed assets
  • Includes search for assets held by spouses, family members, business associates, or AKA’s (Up to two Level 2 searches)
  • Additional confidential sources
  • Nationwide Asset Search Included
  • Ask for quote for Offshore Banks (not included)
  • Submit request form or call for more information about this option

Frequently Asked Questions

My client’s personal injury case settled, I need an asset check on the defendant
If you need to know how to find out what a defendant’s assets are in a personal injury settlement, you need to start with accurate information about the subject. Are you sure the name spelling is correct? Do you have the last known address? Do they have aliases?

Once you as the lawyer have correct identification on the defendant, there are two directions you can take. You can do the asset research in-house using online databases or you can hire a private investigator to do it. The risk of doing it yourself is that if you make mistakes and fail to identify significant assets your client could later come after you for monetary compensation.

The advantage of using a private investigator is that they have experience in finding non-obvious clues to a subject’s wealth and assets. They also have skills in “back tracing” assets such as using their proprietary databases to search by addresses rather than just by a name to find hidden assets. Most importantly using a private investigator can prove you lived up to your fiduciary duty to conduct a professional asset investigation.

Getting ready to sue, how do I find their assets to see if it is worth it?
If you are getting ready to sue someone you will want to know how to find out if they have the assets to satisfy a judgment. This is referred to as a pre-litigation asset search and it provides the attorney with the financial information they need to decide if they should go forward with the lawsuit.

Hiring a private investigator is the place to start because they have the sources and experience needed to get an accurate financial profile. These investigations are just not cursory searches of real property records and other public databases. They involve determining such illusive information as the actual equity in personal properties; finding bank accounts, brokerage accounts and other hidden assets, sometimes including offshore accounts.

An additional advantage to the pre-litigation asset search is creating a timeline data point in the possession of assets. Many times when people or corporations get sued, they immediately begin moving assets to protect and hide them. By getting an accurate financial profile before the lawsuit is filed, the lawyer has the information needed to expose the shady transfer of assets.

I have a judgement how do I find the debtor’s assets?
If you have a judgment and you need to collect on it, where do you start? The first thing you need to do is to be clear about precisely who the judgment is against. If it is a business or corporation, does it include subsidiaries with a similar name? If it is on an individual, does it include the spouse’s property?

Next you need to be sure the proper paperwork has been covered such as making sure the judgment is recorded. There are tactical decisions in collecting a judgment, including when to demand a Debtor’s Examination. One school of thought is that one should do your asset investigation and collect what you can prior to a Debtor’s Examination because the notice of the exam may cause the debtor to move or hide assets.

Hiring a private detective to track down the assets of a debtor is the surest way to make sure all avenues of collection are covered. An in house search may be good for low hanging fruit, but at the end of the day you will want to rely on a professional who knows the ins and outs of how debtors try to avoid satisfying judgments.

I’m suing for punitive damages, what are the assets and net worth of a company?
Punitive damages in a personal injury case can be sought for a number of reasons, including when a defendant’s actions were intentional, where ill-will or vindictive motives were involved or in cases where the conduct is far outside accepted social norms. If you are suing for punitive damages you need to know how to find out the assets and net worth of a company or corporation.

There are a number of reasons for getting the asset information, not the least of which is finding out what the potential is for actually collecting the judgment. In addition in some cases you can use the asset investigation search to inform the court as to what the punitive damages should be in relation to the company’s net worth.

Hiring a private detective is the most reliable way to find out the assets and net worth of an individual, business or corporation. Private investigators have the experience it takes to trace assets and determine net worth. They also have access to sources and data that may be illusive to those not experienced in asset investigations. And finally they know the tricks shady businesses use to try to hide or otherwise protect their assets.

Next you need to be sure the proper paperwork has been covered such as making sure the judgment is recorded. There are tactical decisions in collecting a judgment, including when to demand a Debtor’s Examination. One school of thought is that one should do your asset investigation and collect what you can prior to a Debtor’s Examination because the notice of the exam may cause the debtor to move or hide assets.

Hiring a private detective to track down the assets of a debtor is the surest way to make sure all avenues of collection are covered. An in house search may be good for low hanging fruit, but at the end of the day you will want to rely on a professional who knows the ins and outs of how debtors try to avoid satisfying judgments.

How do I find bank accounts to collect a judgement?
There are a number of reasons for wanting to know how to find bank accounts. The most common is that you have a judgment that you want to collect on. In other cases you may be considering a lawsuit but want to know first if the money is there in the event you are awarded a judgment. And in divorce cases there may be a need to find hidden bank accounts belonging to the opposing party.

A private investigator is the best source to find bank accounts. Be prepared to invest real money to obtain this illusive information, it does not come cheap. Before you hire a private detective to find bank accounts, find out what the costs are and what geographical area it covers. Some bank account searches cover only the local area; other options include regional, statewide or nationwide searches.

To maximize your chances of success in finding bank accounts, accurate information on the subject is important. Do you know the exact spelling of their name; do you have important identifying information including home address, date of birth and Social Security number? If you do not, the private eye can usually help obtain this data.

In addition your investigator can conduct research to see if the subject or debtor has used any aliases or alternate Social Security numbers and conduct research to see if there are hidden bank accounts under the alternate identities. So before hiring an investigator, do your homework on getting the most accurate data on the debtor.

How do I find the owner of a property and the liens on it?
If you need to find who owns a property there a few options available to you depending on where the property is. Information on real property ownership is usually found at the local county tax assessor’s office. In many cases this information is available online so you can start there.

If you cannot determine the correct ownership by going online, there are a couple of options.
You can either go in person to the tax assessor’s office to research the parcel maps or you can hire a private detective to research this. Private investigators have access to proprietary databases not available to the public and experience in determining real property ownership. For instance, there are times where the publicized address is not the actual address and this is the type of situation in which an investigator can help.

Once the correct ownership has been identified, the next step is to determine if there are any liens against the property. This information is usually maintained at the local county recorder’s office. In some cases this is available online at the county government website. In the event it is not, a private investigator has access to the databases that are necessary to research if the property has liens.

What people are saying

Thank you for providing me with such outstanding service. I truly appreciate you and your staff for all you’ve done for me and my family…. I’m totally pleased with the outcome and their findings… Great job!

Gerome S. | Retired | USA

I have used Tristar for years. Their response time and results are unparalleled. They get my highest praise.

Robert Clayton, Attorney | Taylor & Ring, LLP | Los Angeles, CA

Tristar found my birth mothers records the same day. I am very impressed with their professionalism and the services they provide. I will use them again for any of my needs.

Dr. Claudia Barne | Professor | 23 years

Tristar was very helpful in my address search. Kellie Anguiano was very personable and kept me up to date with the search process… Thank you so much for your help!

Emily | DDS Student | 2 years | Los Angeles, CA

Tristar is by far the most reliable and efficient investigator we have ever used.

Nicole Young | Attorney, 14 years | Woodland Hills, CA

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