Dade County Child Custody Child Support Child Abuse Child Neglect Investigations

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Child Abuse

Fightingfor a childChild abuse is the physical, sexual and psychological tournament of a child committed by an adult.  Because of their innocence and naivety, children are easily targeted with no fear of repercussions.   Although anyone can abuse children, sadly the fact of the matter is that the abusers are often those very close to the children, including parents, teachers, relatives, babysitters and stay at home nannies.

The thought that the people who spend the most time with children are the ones who are most likely to commit heinous crimes against them is at once both appalling and scary, but there are several signs to look out for which may signal abuse including

  • Physical marks such as bruises, cuts, broken bones or swelling
  • Refusal to remove certain articles of clothing, bathe or shower
  • Unusual compliance or resistance towards adults
  • A marked drop in academic performance
  • A generally fearful, frightened demeanor
  • Difficultly walking, sitting or experiencing pain doing either
  • Bleeding from genitals

When suspicions arise concerning the actions of relatives, spouses or nannies towards children, turning to child protective or social services can fail to detect child abuse. These are instances in which case a private investigator should be contacted immediately.

Using various different methods, any traces of child abuse will be sniffed out and brought to light.  Photo and video surveillance, background checks, covert surveillance and stake-out tracking are commonly used tactics to expose an abuser.  Audio recording can also reveal forms of “soft” abuse such as threatening, yelling, taunting and other non-physical but still damaging offenses.

Whether you need personal piece of mind, to quell suspicions about someone or to gather evidence for court, a private investigator should always be the number 1 choice to thoroughly uncover evidence and reveal facts in a child abuse situation.

Contact JRS Investigations Now

For Your Free  Consultation (888) 737 – 7690

 Child Custody

child-custody-lawyer-walnut-creek-bay-areaThese days over 50% of marriages are expected to end in divorce.  For couples who share children between them, a difficult consequence of divorce is the issue of child custody.  In a typical case the courts will examine the living situation of the children, review the facts and then grant primary custody to the parent they see fit, while the other parent is allowed partial custody or some form of limited visitation rights.  It is also possible that one parent may be denied visitation rights entirely with no means to contact their children.

What happens if a parent believes the courts have not made the right decision?  With few official procedures to pursue after the children have been placed, it is entirely up to the accusing parent to provide proof of the mistake.  Courts can miss crucial details, or be unaware of new developments in the custodial parent’s life that would influence the custody arrangement.

The proof required for a court to reconsider a child custody arrangement is extensive, and a single incident by the custodial parent will not be sufficient.  Courts need to see well documented evidence of neglect, abuse, risky lifestyle choices, drug use and other instances of general poor parenting.  In addition, a clear and prolonged pattern of these offenses will have to be evident.  Examples include:

  • New relationships or friendships with people of suspect character
  • Drug use
  • Mental disorders
  • Leaving the children with babysitters or nannies who neglect or abuse
  • Criminal records
  • Previously unknown personal background history
  • Arrest warrants
  • Child Abuse
  • Child Neglect
  • Bankruptcy
  • Illegal activities

Documentation of the above offenses is essential and it is important to act as quickly as possible.  Missing out on key proof will reduce otherwise valid claims into speculation, destroying  the opportunity to reclaim the children.

The best way to gather the proof necessary for the court is by hiring a Private Investigator.  A Private Investigator has the expertise and means to discretely collect evidence against a current / ex-spouse who has been (or will likely be) awarded custody.  This will be achieved through a combination of proven Private Investigator techniques. These include

  • On foot surveillance of the parent to observe where they go, who the kids are left with and for how long
  • Photographic and video surveillance to provide physical evidence of wrongdoing
  • Lifestyle report to uncover involvement with illegal activities
  • Full background check of spouse and anyone associated with spouse or children

Over time the Private Investigator will gather enough evidence to show clear patterns of child abuse, child neglect, domestic violence, drug use, and more.  This hard evidence can then be presented to the court in order to remove the children from volatile situations and out of the unfit parent’s custody.

Contact JRS Investigations Now

For Your Free  Consultation (888) 737 – 7690

 Child Neglect

In the United states, the most prevalent form of child maltreatment is called child neglect.  Neglect can be defined as “a type of maltreatment that refers to the failure by the caregiver to provide needed, age appropriate care although financially able to do so or offered financial or other means to do so”.  There are several signs that a child is a victim of neglect, including:

  • poor hygiene
  • weight loss
  • constant hunger and looking for food
  • wearing the same clothes for days on end
  • excessive school absences
  • constant sickness and untreated medical problems

 

Child neglect has for aspects -physical, educational, emotional, and medical. 

  • Physical neglect is the most common type, and occurs when a caretaker fails to provide food, shelter, supervision and other basic necessities.
  • Educational neglect occurs when a child is denied a proper education.  This can take the form of inadequate home schooling, persistent lateness to class, not enrolling the child for school, failure to accommodate special needs, or allowing children to skip school to no consequence
  • Emotional neglect includes persistent rejection, threatening, exposing or involving the child to illegal or immoral activities, belittling, and ignoring
  • Medical neglect occurs when a parent fails to provide proper medical treatment when able to do so or does not seek alternate means of care

 

interference-visitation-kansas-800x800Children who are victims of one form of neglect are often victims of the other forms, but this may not be readily obvious. If any form of neglect is suspected a highly qualified private investigator should be contacted.  This is especially important in child custody situations where specific evidence and proof is needed to support claims of neglect.

The Private Investigator will use a number of techniques including background checks, personal surveillance, stake-out, video and photographic surveillance to determine if neglect is present, and to what extent.  Contrary to the insistence of neglect by a parent, relative or third party, the evidence collected by the investigator can the sole reason for removing a child from a potentially life threatening situation or clearing one’s own name if accused.

Contact JRS Investigations Now

For Your Free  Consultation (888) 737 – 7690

 Child Support

Parent and Baby's Hands and FeetAfter a divorce, most child custody situations lawfully require one parent to pay child support to the other.  Unfortunately it is all too common for a parent to skip out on their responsibility to pay, at the expense of their ex-spouse and children.  Payments may stop coming with no explanation,the parent may claim they do not have sufficient funds to pay or will disappear entirely.

Due to the massive amount of deadbeat parents, courts are often overloaded with similar cases and cannot give proper attention to yours when it is needed.  The deadbeat parent is usually very evasive and adept at withholding information, but a professional Private Investigator has the tools to stay one step ahead  of the curve.  To you, this means justice and finally collecting what rightfully belongs to you and your child.

A JRS  Private Investigator will get to the bottom of the child support situation and help ensure you receive whatever money you are legally entitled to. The negligent parent will be monitored to find out:

  • If they have relocated and where they currently live
  • state of employment
  • salary and assets
  • ability to pay child support
  • undisclosed income

On the other hand, private investigators also possess the means to track a parent who is collecting child support in order to make sure the money goes towards the child and is not treated as “hidden alimony”.

Contact JRS Investigations Now

For Your Free  Consultation (888) 737 – 7690

Visitation Interference

child-custody-lawyer-walnut-creek-bay-areaWhen a marriage ends in divorce, the placement of their children will be determined by the courts, subject to the judge’s determination of what is in their best interest.  There are three possible types of custody arrangements: full custody for one parent with no visitation by the other, 50/50 split custody, and primary custody for one parent with the other granted lesser or limited visitation rights.

Primary custody by one parent with limited visitation is by the most common arrangement, with the mother overwhelmingly chosen as the primary custodian.   A  visitation schedule is prepared  by the courts which both parents must make reasonable attempts to follow, and in this way both parents enjoy contact, communication and the ability to be involved both as a parent and personally in their children’s lives.  Unfortunately, a common problem faced by the non-primary custodian is called visitation interference.  Visitation interference is the denial of visitation privileges by direct and indirect means.

Indirect visitation interference affects children by instilling fear, uncertainty and hatred for the non-custodian parent through deliberate words and actions.  In this way children are “brainwashed” into voluntarily skipping or being complacent with missed visits.   Indirect forms of visitation interference include:

  • Making children feel guilty for visiting the other parent
  • Constantly talking negatively , making accusations or using exaggerated sarcasm when referring to the other parent
  • Passive aggressively hinting at the other parent’s flaws without naming them
  • Punishing the children after or before visits
  • Acting cold and ignoring children after or before visits

Direct visitation interference is the physical denial of visitation and communication by the custodial parents.  Examples include:

  • Being unavailable or taking them out during scheduled visitation hours
  • Scheduling doctor appointments and other obligations during visitation
  • Failure to drop them off with the other parent when required to
  • Hiding email, letters and phone calls from the children
  • Leaving children with relatives

Although visitation interference is technically illegal, historically courts have done little to ensure they happen.  Even worse is that prolonged interference with court ordered visitation is rarely punished with more than a weak reprimand.  Criminal charges for visitation may be filed, but to successfully win such a case requires proof of the offenses.  These situations are best handled by a Private Investigator trained in child custody matters.  Used various methods, a Private Investigator can track attempted visitation, email, letter and phone correspondence and any interference to them by the primary custodian.   Indirect denial can also be detected through video monitoring, computer surveillance, audio recording, witness testimonies and other techniques.  Only by documenting a pattern of withholding scheduled visitations with solid proof will most courts consider changing or reversing the child custody arrangement.

Contact JRS Investigations Now

For Your Free  Consultation (888) 737 – 7690