DECEMBER 2016
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Our offices will be closed on Friday, December 23, in celebration of Christmas, and on Monday, January 2, in observance of the beginning of 2017.
 
We are pleased to be able to offer a continuing legal education (CLE) program, approved by the State Bar of Texas, that underscores ways ensure your investigation adds value to your case.  Call us at 713/781-9040 to arrange a convenient appointment for a complimentary presentation at your offices.


Next Edition Topics:

Filling the Bill:
Is the investigator capable, or merely licensed?
 
Cover Me: Is the investigator's liability insurance coverage sufficient?




 
 
In this month's VantagePoints, we close out 2016 with articles addressing ill-chosen surveillance techniques and inflated charges for information derived from "confidential sources."  
 
Surveillance requires sound judgment and must be conducted in accordance with the law. Failure to use reasoned and ethical techniques can breed adverse court actions and destroy the attorney-client relationship.
 
The information obtained by investigators from their sources can be essential to a given case, and is often hard to come by. However, exaggerating the level of difficulty in acquiring such information, in order to submit an unreasonably high invoice, is common - and it is wrong.    
 
The principled professionals of ResultQuest® stringently adhere to a discerning and ethical approach to investigations. When you need honest and judicious specialists, call us at 713/781-9040. It's Your Move - Make it Count®.  
 
Your comments about VantagePoints are greatly appreciated, and we invite you to contact us with any investigative topics of interest at news@resultquestinc.com . We also hope you will suggest our newsletter to those in your professional circle.
 
We wish you and yours a safe and happy holiday season and a blessed 2017.
 
J.R.Skaggs
Founder, Owner, and Manager

Consider the Source: Unfounded fees for "confidential" information
 
It is commonplace for investigative firms to utilize a diverse assortment of resources to obtain information that is not available to the general public. Such information might be derived from human sources or electronic databases, and can be the product of years of development and refinement. The amount charged for such information can vary greatly, and a significant factor is the morality of the investigator.
 
Information that is hard to come by can be highly valuable. However, an exorbitant billing for something that seems difficult, but was obtained easily and inexpensively, is unjust. A case in point involves a matter in which ResultQuest® was called upon to take over an investigation after another company had failed to meet a critical deadline. During the course of the work it was determined by one of our investigators that the previous company had billed an unreasonable amount for a nonpublished telephone number that was supposedly provided by a "confidential source" inside a telephone service provider. In actuality, the number was readily acquired from a voter registration card that the county registrar had failed to redact. The client succeeded in recovering a refund... Read More 

Sneaking a Peek: Inappropriate surveillance techniques
 
Conducting surveillance is a juggling act between balancing the desire to obtain the client's desired result with the risk of pressing the coverage in a way that might be construed as harassment - or even stalking. Knowing the legal limits, and knowing when to say when, is an essential skill of the professional legal investigator.
 
When surveillance is being carried out in support of litigation, it is especially important to not give the opponent ammunition to use against your client. A skilled operative can usually spot signs that someone is becoming aware of their presence. To continue following the individual despite the detection of such signs can lead to a confrontation - one that nowadays is typically preserved for posterity using a cell phone camera. This, of course, can lead to disastrous results. At the very least it virtually eliminates the likelihood that you can come back later to obtain the desired results. At most it can lead to a counterclaim for harassment, subsequently jeopardizing the case, as well as the reputation of both the attorney and the investigator.
 
There are numerous media accounts of investigators who went so far as to be arrested for stalking. A common denominator was the... Read More