- Divorce
- Child SupportChild support, alimony, custody, and distribution of marital assets: these are the issues at the heart of divorce litigation. A thorough and impartial investigation can resolve many of the acrimonious charges brought by an embittered spouse. From forensic accounting to surveillance, the staff at Complete Legal Investigations, Inc. can help you find the answers to the challenging questions your client faces.
- Child Custody and VisitationWe have assisted counsel in family law cases since 2001, and our investigators have testified at depositions, hearings, and trials. We have located hidden assets, including real estate, bank accounts, and personal and business property. We work closely with a forensic accountant to review financial statements, tax returns, and business records to verify income or dispute underemployment, and, of course, we offer expert surveillance to develop information that will assist our attorney-clients in resolving issues involving child custody and visitation.
- GuardianshipDo you suspect a caretaker, a family member or a guardian of fraud or exploitation? Do you need interviews from friends or business associates to document the mental capacity of a client? Probate and guardianship cases require sensitivity and strong interviewing skills to uncover signs of physical or mental deterioration. It takes a deft touch to maneuver witnesses through difficult interviews, and determination to obtain medical documentation from health care facilities.
- Spousal SupportThe client’s ex-husband was claiming loss of income after the sale of his business and had reduced the client’s alimony payments.
- Child AbuseChild abuse: The safety of your client’s children from an angry or erratic spouse is an emergency priority. Verifying allegations of abuse must be completed quickly, carefully, and thoroughly. Our investigators can assist with an assessment of the circumstances to determine the validity of the claim. False allegations by embittered spouses are not uncommon, and a dispassionate review by trained investigators may be necessary to verify or discredit the accusation.
- Criminal DefenseComplete Legal Investigations, Inc. is comprised of talented and experienced investigators and researchers with over 80 years combined experience in the legal system. Our staff is bi-lingual and comprised of former federal and state investigators, board certified criminal defense investigators, Certified Fraud Examiners (CFE®), a Certified Legal Investigator (CLI), and a Certified Paralegal (CP®). Working as a team, we provide our clients with an adjunct staff that works cooperatively with your law firm, ensuring that your case is properly prepared to advance your client’s representation.
- DUI/DWILots of investigators claim to have “trial experience.” No one can match the trial experience provided by the team at Complete Legal Investigations, Inc. Since 1984, our staff has assisted attorneys prepare for thousands of trials in state and federal courts in Florida and across the country. From a simple DUI to first degree murder in state court; from illegal reentry after deportation to multi-million dollar fraud cases in federal court; from simple crash liability cases to billion-dollar tobacco litigation, the professional staff at Complete Legal Investigations has assisted counsel in every possible trial scenario. We provide comprehensive trial support for our attorney clients. We assist with witnesses, trial exhibits, and provide testimony in court and at deposition. Our investigators have appeared as witnesses in state and federal court, and are well-known in courthouses throughout the Southern District of Florida. Our contacts in law enforcement and state, county and municipal agencies are unmatched. We provide our clients with local, national and international coverage through our network of competent professionals all over the globe, acquired through thirty five years of hard-earned experience and communication with the best investigators in the world.
- Wrongful Death“We have used Complete Legal Investigations, Inc. on a wide range of civil matters and have always been impressed with their work. They are prompt, professional, and responsive to our needs. We especially like the cost effective manner in which they conduct their investigations. On small cases they only do what is necessary to successfully push the case forward. On serious injury and wrongful death cases, however, they aggressively and thoroughly “leave no stone unturned.” We appreciate that, but more importantly, our clients appreciate it. Complete Legal Investigations, Inc. makes us look good and helps us obtain justice for our clients.” Michael S. Smith, Esq.
- FraudUnited States v. Brandau, Billinghurst, et al. Client charged in multi-count indictment as part of $100 million viatical insurance fraud. Sole defendant acquitted. Sentences for remaining defendants convicted at trial ranged from 20-50 years. (2000)
- BurglaryState of Florida v. Deronceler. Client charged with 10-20-Life offense of Attempted Armed Burglary and Aggravated Assault with Firearm in July 4th shooting incident; acquitted at trial despite testimony from five eyewitnesses. (2002)
- White Collar CrimesThe investigators at Complete Legal Investigations, Inc., have developed and maintained these fraud detection skills through experience and continuing education. Our principle is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) who has investigated hundreds of cases of white collar crime, fraud and embezzlement. We recognize the potential for the financial abuse of elderly and disabled clients, and we know how to “follow the money.”
- MisdemeanorsFees vary depending on the circumstances of each case. We offer a flat-rate fee for certain cases, or an hourly rate with a retainer for others. Since our agency conducts investigations in every type of criminal case–from simple misdemeanors, to violent felonies, to multi-defendant drug conspiracy cases in federal court–we have learned that no two cases are exactly alike. Therefore, no two fee arrangements are exactly alike. However, our experience and success are well worth the investment of resources ( Cases Successfully Resolved ), especially when your client’s freedom is at stake.
- EmbezzlementBackground investigations: What do you know about the person or persons caring for an elderly patient? Often caretakers are hired by family members based on recommendations from friends, or through a relationship, or even from a personal advertisement. Yet the newspapers regularly feature stories of fraud, embezzlement and abuse by caretakers who have a history of arrests, lawsuits and judgments, and domestic violence.
- Drug CrimesMark is a former staff investigator for the Federal Public Defender, Southern District of Florida. He has over 35 years of investigative experience in both the public and private sectors. He has assisted counsel in cases of securities and wire fraud, money laundering, drug trafficking, murder, sexual battery, and gang-related crimes. As one of only a few Certified Legal Investigators in the country, Mark has also assisted civil counsel in the litigation of negligence cases, wrongful death claims, premises and products liability cases, and estate and probate matters. He has written extensively for professional journals and lectured on investigative procedures in the classroom and at conferences. He is the past president of the Florida Association of Licensed Investigators (FALI), one of the largest private investigator associations in the country. He is the former Regional Director for the southeast United States for the National Association of Legal Investigators (NALI). Attorneys are confident in the successful resolution of their cases when Mark assists and supervises the investigation of complex criminal and civil cases, in both state and federal court. Mark@completelegalinv.com
- Assault
- MurderPolice are seeking 25-year-old Julio Gomez for first-degree murder in the death of a 17-year-old snitch who ratted out his cocaine-dealing friends. Gomez and others are accused of nearly decapitating Maciel Martin Videla and leaving him to die.
- HomicideAlibi evidence secured by our investigation reflected that the client was buying a car thirty miles away at the time of the homicide.
- Money Laundering“I wanted to publicly thank Complete Legal Investigations for all they did recently to assist me in a large fraud/money laundering CJA case. Not only did they locate and interview witnesses all over the country and in Mexico by phone, they coordinated bringing in all my witnesses and getting them paid by the Marshal through the CJA system. They did it all for CJA-acceptable rates and at a reasonable cost to the court. If anyone needs help with a CJA case in Palm Beach County, I highly recommend them.” Randee J. Golder, Esq.
- Personal Injury“The legal investigator functions most often in personal injury cases, where his job is to determine the responsibility for what happened, and in the defense of criminal cases, where his presence affords the accused defendant the constitutional rights and guarantees to which he is entitled. Since it is possible for any conceivable field of human endeavor to become the subject of a lawsuit, the legal investigator may surface in any type of litigation where the collecting of facts is important.
- Medical MalpracticeOur co-founder, Wendy Murnan, is a Certified Paralegal and was employed many years in a prominent civil litigation firm. Our agency has conducted hundreds of interviews in auto liability, slip and fall, wrongful death, medical malpractice, and negligent security cases. We have assisted counsel in commercial litigation cases and located witnesses locally and in other states. We routinely attend seminars and conferences to expand our knowledge base in civil litigation to better assist our clients.
- Power of AttorneyThe attorney was looking for evidence of a client’s neurological condition at a certain time. With a power of attorney from the personal representative, we gathered records of treatment at several hospitals. The hospital’s records revealed a consultation with a neurologist, which the family was unaware of. The neurologist was contacted and provided his records of treatment, which substantiated the family’s suspicion of the client’s condition.
- Probate