FAQ - General

Thank you for visiting Complete Legal Investigations, Inc. We want to address some common questions our clients ask.

What’s the difference between a “legal investigator” and a “private investigator”?

The National Association of Legal Investigators offers the following description of a “legal investigator”:

“The legal investigator functions most often in personal injury cases, where his job is to determine the responsibility for what happened, and in the defense of criminal cases, where his presence affords the accused defendant the constitutional rights and guarantees to which he is entitled. Since it is possible for any conceivable field of human endeavor to become the subject of a lawsuit, the legal investigator may surface in any type of litigation where the collecting of facts is important.

The legal investigator differs from a ‘private eye’ in that he works not for the private parties directly, but for the attorneys who represent the private parties. Therefore, the legal investigator enjoys the same type of privileged relationship as the attorney does with a client.”

(From the National Association of Legal Investigators website at www.nalionline.org , “Legal Investigator Defined”, used with permission, 2001-2005 NALI, Inc.)

What is the “turnaround time” for assignments?

All assignments are completed as quickly as possible, with the understanding that our attorney-clients operate under closely determined schedules for hearings, depositions, filing deadlines, and mediations. Each case is unique and requires a different strategy for completion. Witness interviews are often dependent on the witness’ availability and schedule; documents may not be immediately or locally available; collision or crime scenes may have been altered over time. Therefore, turnaround time is frequently determined by factors not always within our control. Regardless, all assignments are initiated on receipt, whether for interviews, locations, or research.

Clients are updated with interim reports, e-mails, and telephone calls, as necessary. Attorneys are encouraged to contact our office or our field investigators at any time they have a question or new information. Our investigators are encouraged to contact the client from the field when new and important information is developed.

What experience does your staff have?

See “Our Staff.”

Does a single investigator do everything?

No. Each of our experienced staff members fulfills a specific role in our organization to provide complete coverage and timely service to our attorney-clients. For instance, while a field investigator conducts interviews and locates witnesses, our researcher obtains court documents from out-of-state jurisdictions or police reports from a local municipality. Our inside investigator takes statements over the phone and forwards them to our transcriber for overnight completion. Our courier delivers reports, statements, and documents to our attorney-clients on a “next-day” basis. Complete Legal Investigations, Inc. delivers a level of service not offered by the “lone private eye,” or by the majority of small investigative agencies running a more generalized business.

Does your agency serve process or do surveillance?

Our Purpose, our Vision, and our Mission require a singular focus. In today’s highly competitive and technical environment, investigators can no longer afford to be “all things to all people.” In order to accomplish our Purpose, Vision, and Mission, we provide only those services we can perform with excellence and consistency.

Surveillance and service of process are highly specialized services, and we partner with and refer to experts in those fields when those occasions arise for our clients. Our case manager will assign, monitor, and manage these activities to ensure proper handling of the assignment.

How do we get in touch with you?

See “Contact Us” for our phone and fax numbers and our mailing address. Our office is staffed during normal business hours. Each staff member has an e-mail address. Our investigators have cell phones and can be immediately available.