CIAPI News

The stereotypical private investigators of books, TV and movies don't always show the full spectrum of the work that private investigators do on a day-to-day basis. A real investigator's caseload often includes background investigations, surveillance and skip traces, or searches for missing people. Investigators may also serve legal documents, notifying people of their involvement in legal proceedings. In the United States, this is part of the due process guaranteed in the Fifth and 14th Amendments to the Constitution.

The difference between a good private detective and a bad one can mean the difference between getting the results you want or not. This checklist of qualities will make sure the private detective you're considering has the criteria you need:

Do you have questions about serving papers? Want to know more about the process and who's involved? Read on to answer some of your most frequently asked questions about Process Service.

There are often two options when choosing someone to serve court papers: a process server or a deputy sheriff. Selecting a deputy sheriff can be the easier route. But a recent survey of legal professionals suggests that professional process servers are preferable to their sheriff counterparts. The survey, conducted by the process server network ServeNow, polled 100 paralegals, legal assistants, and legal secretaries. 78% of those polled preferred process servers in a number of areas, including speed, knowledge of laws, and success rate.