In the movies, private eyes are often seen as being approached by distressed individuals looking for answers. And while today’s private investigators still often work for individual clients, many private investigators will work directly with attorneys to gather information for a difficult case or set of cases.
In some instances, a law firm may hire a private detective as part of the full-time staff. While working in an attorney’s office, a private investigator may work on cases that deal with civil actions and criminal matters. Some of the responsibilities an investigator may take on as part of an attorney’s team include financial background checks, document searches, locating witnesses, Internet data searches and interviewing witnesses.
Having an investigator who is a trained interviewed can be a boon to a law firm while collecting evidence for a potential court case. While a lawyer may have a predetermined view of a case, an investigator who is good with people can talk to potential witnesses and understand what they might say at trial without any preconceptions. It can also be useful to have someone on the team whose time is devoted entirely to tracking down information and/or witnesses.
Source: ABA Journal