Did you realize that there are times in litigation where just one witness can be important enough to influence the outcome? It is true. Eyewitnesses and testimony from experts can provide insight into matters that may change everything. That said, these crucial people are not always easy to locate, but with a first and last name, there are several ways in which a professional process server can track them down.
Skip tracing, a process where a process server, or any other professional seeking out an individual, can find a person that either does not want to be found, or is particularly difficult to locate. There are many skip tracing methods that can be used to locate missing witnesses. Here are just a few of the most commonly used:
- Narrowing in on a Geographic Location
If you have a general idea of where the witness may be located, this information should help you to home in on a place to search for potential addresses. You may find the correct address, or a past one, but even a previous address can help you locate information that will aid in your search.
- Looking Through Existing Public Records
A fast, cheap, and easy way to find a missing witness is by searching public records thoroughly. You can start on the internet by using a public records search forum with even the smallest amount of information available and still come up with more than you need to locate a person easily. You can even work with a public record aggregator online that sorts and summarizes all important information for you and supplies you with the tidbits that you need, but don’t have, from other data that you already possess.
Using utility, credit, phone number, and DMV databases can also shorten your search time because they are chock full of records containing vital information. Subscribing to each of these can, however, be costly.
- Search Real Property and Title Records
If your witness is the registered owner of property or real estate, he or she should be easy to find by going through the records of the local clerk of the court. It may be difficult to search through the possible mass of false positives that you’ll find if you don’t have have further identifying information, such as his or her date of birth, but it can be worth the effort in the end.
- Check Out social media
These days, it isn’t as difficult to find a person as it was in years past. This isn’t only due to having the internet as a tool to search with, it is also due to internet culture itself. Social media, blogs, and personal and business websites have made it easier than ever to find others, along with their personal videos, photos, and a list of their closest associates. These are items you could never find using a stale, antiquated database alone.
You can even use the information that you find on social media to aid in your public records search. It can help you to find the person’s address, and you will also see the face of the witness, making it simpler to seek them out.
At Lafayette Process Servers, we know that taking the time to conduct such an extensive search can be time consuming and difficult with the busy schedules that we all have these days. That is why Scoot Frank and his team will take the time to locate witnesses for your matter, whether it is a Social Security or worker’s compensation hearing, a criminal matter, or a lawsuit that has gone to trial.
Using a professional company to locate witnesses on your behalf, or the behalf of your clients, is a logical step to take to save time and ensure that the job is done right the first time. We have access to tools and databases that the average layperson may not have. Using the methods listed above, we can undoubtedly locate any expert or eyewitness that you need to make your case before the court or hearing officer. Give us a call or drop us an email today to learn more about what we can do for you.
Donna Lee Hellmann is a New Orleans-area copywriter. The foregoing article has simply been presented for informational purposes only. She, and those at Lafayette Process Servers, are not attorneys. If you seek further information about this topic, contact an attorney in your local area.
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