When Melanie’s husband left the marriage last year, she tried to voice her concerns in court. She tried to tell the judge that, while her soon-to-be ex husband might be a high-profile athlete, he had a long history of erratic behavior. She reminded the judge that the father of her kids had two prior arrests for driving while intoxicated. He was known to use cocaine. She feared for the safety of their young children.
But the judge waved Melanie away as if she was just another frustrated spouse who didn’t get the settlement she expected. The expression on the judge’s face told Melanie that he suspected that she was only trying to use the kids as pawns, one last-ditch effort to get her way.
For weeks after the divorce was final, Melanie begged her ex not to drive with the children in the car if he was under the influence. She wanted him to promise that he would not have drugs in the house when their children visited. He reminded Melanie that his activities were none of her business. Twice, the children were returned to her looking unkempt and sleepy. Another time, they were both crying from hunger. After the last visit, the three-year-old returned home with a cast on his arm. His dad casually explained that he had fallen down the stairs.
A very distraught Melanie called her attorney who made an appointment to speak with . While the attorney was seeking relief in the courts, he also wanted evidence that could persuade the judge to issue court orders that would protect the children.
Although most people think investigators are called in to catch a cheating spouse or a cheating boyfriend or girlfriend, divorce creates other situations which call for the services of :
- Divorce Asset Investigation to find hidden bank accounts or missing assets
- Child Custody Investigation
- Business Asset Search to accurately state the status of business assets
- And sometimes, even a background investigation because one spouse is not who the other spouse thinks she is.
Getting to the truth of the status of marital assets or uncovering the past is important, but the welfare of children in a divorce situation is even more critical and our investigators do everything they can – as quickly as possible – to make sure children are safe.
Using listening devices and video surveillance equipment, investigators kept the spouse under surveillance, especially when the children were with him. An undercover investigator recorded a conversation with Melanie’s ex, about purchasing cocaine. Surveillance video showed that Melanie’s ex occasionally left the children in the car late at night while he frequented strip bars. He appeared to be intoxicated when he returned to the car to drive home. As “luck” would have it, not only was he caught on our video, he was also the subject of a police video when he was stopped and arrested for driving under the influence.
Armed with the evidence from the investigation and the arrest records, Melanie’s attorney returned to court. We are pretty sure the court saw the situation in a different light.
-Brenda McGinley, CEO, All in Investigations, All in Investigations
