Whether you are doing a court lookup for fun or for legitimate reasons, there are always some questions that are asked. Everyone needs to know the basics of court records and here you will find that information to get you started in your records search.

What can be found in court records?
While the information will vary depending on the records found, generally you can expect to find the following.

• List of involved parties including the plaintiff, defendant, and attorneys
• Attorney Records
• Civil Court Filings
• County, State and Federal Court Record
• Court Dockets and Transcripts
• Bankruptcy
• Probate Records
• And More

Who Searches Through Court Records?
While some people do it for fun or just to be nosy, there are legitimate reasons to search through court records. Some of those reasons include the following

• Researching family roots (genealogy). Court records especially marriage and divorce records help trace back family ties and find lost loved ones.
• Researchers do court look ups to find transcripts for cases they are interested in. This way books and movies come out as accurately as possible.
• People effected by adoption search through court records in an attempt to find the biological parents and the children they gave away.

Do You Need a License to Search Court Records?
It is a common and yet still mistaken belief that only police officers and detectives can search court records. Most court records are available to the public through the Freedom of Information Act.

The misconception comes from the lack of access to such records. Police officers and private eyes do have access to multiple databases for searching. However, so does the average person. Using online searching tools, you can search through court records just as effectively as a private eye or a police officer. No special license or permit is needed.

Where is the Best Place to Search Records?
Obviously, you could go to the courthouses to find the records but this would take hours and lots of driving. Not to mention, this method also means standing in line and waiting for someone else to search for records.

It is much easier and more efficient to use online databases. Through the high power search engines and wide databases, you can find court records in the privacy and comfort of your own home. No need to run all over town or wait for people to find the records you need. Best of all, no one needs to know you are looking.

You can start your court look up right now just by entering a name. Enter yourself and see what comes up on you.

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There are many reasons to use a birth date search. Mainly it is trying to locate someone you have lost contact with over time. In these cases, if you have the birth date, then you stand a very good chance of finding the person you are looking for fast. If you follow these tips for locating different people, you just might talk to them tonight.

Finding Old Classmates:
Locating people that you went to school with is often easier than you think. Besides class reunion registries, you have the added benefit of searching for people you’re your hometown. In addition, you have the bonus of knowing the maiden name of classmates.

TIP – When you do a people search by name and hometown, the birthday really narrows down the choices. This makes locating them that much easier.

Finding an Ex
Many times men and women separate on not so good terms, especially when there are kids involved. Then child support stops coming and the ex disappears. The chances are you will know the birth date of your ex, which will help tremendously.

TIP — Do an employment search on your ex. The chances are your ex will have to have a job to support themselves. At the very least, you can get the last employer, which will tell you the town they lived in. This way you can do a people search and then an address search.

TIP – Try a people search as well. Since you have a birth date, you know that you can narrow down the results fast, even on a nationwide search. Then search phone records to get a phone number. After a few quick phone calls, you will know which person is the right one.

Finding a the Right Database
You most definitely want to search online. There is no need to stand in line at courthouses when you can search online. You can search databases in the privacy of your own home and no one needs to know you are searching.

The right database will be more than just “cheap.” You will want a database that has access to multiple records. This way you do not waste your valuable time searching website to website.

TIP – Make sure the database keeps your search private. You can check the “Privacy Policy” page on most websites to determine how they treat your information. In addition, the website should state that the searches are anonymous.

We found a website that has a nationwide database of public records that are updated daily.  Whether you decide to conduct a birth date search with them or someone else, please keep these tips in mind and good luck in your search!

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A people search by SSN is the most accurate way to track someone’s past activities.  As an employer, you are required to pay taxes for your employees and for that, you need their SSN.  That SSN is also a window into their previous activities.

Criminal Records Revealed by SSN Records
If you are planning to hire someone and need to know that they haven’t been found guilty of certain crimes, try a people search by SSN to investigate their past is a great way to go.  At the risk of being politically incorrect, I will venture to say that you don’t want a former embezzler keeping your books, or a convicted pedophile working with children.

It is certainly true that ex-cons get a bad deal.  Even if they have successfully completed their sentence, the specter of a messy past can prevent them from finding gainful employment.  While it is illegal to deny someone a job based upon their criminal record, if they weren’t honest about it on an application, it is a fair bet that they won’t be honest in their employment.

Background Checks Reveal Financial Crimes
Former bankruptcies, liens, poor credit ratings are all accessible with an SSN.  It is unfortunate but true that those with a history of poor financial management are likely to repeat their errors over and over again.  If you want to avoid getting involved with a person with such a history, using their SSN to discover past problems can be very helpful.

People Search by Social Security Number for Employment Records
Each job a person holds is part of a chain of information about them.  People aren’t as honest as they could be when filling out job applications even when they don’t have anything to hide.  Those with something to hide are going to be even more cautious about the information they provide.

With an SSN, it is very simple to check out a person’s work history.  How long they stayed in a job, what they earned, and where they were is all right there for you to see.  Small exaggerations may be fine, but outright lies are definitely a no-no.

They are dealing with millions of requests for things like death benefits, disability, and other critical programs.  Your desire for information will be of a lower priority.  For quick and easy information, conduct your next people search by SSN online.  With a good online database, you can find out all you need using a social security number.

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What, exactly, can an employment history record do for you as a private investigator?  In the course of performing your job as a private eye, you will come across a huge variety of records, both public and personal.  Many of these records, such as an employment record, will tell you things about a person you are conducting an investigation about.  But what exactly are you expected to do when using employment history records?

Usage of employment history records for background checks
Employment history records are frequently used as a reference during an investigation or a background check.  Often, this is in relation to a job application, when a client employer would like to screen a potential employee’s personal and professional past.

This is to determine how well suited or qualified the applicant is or if all the qualifications and information provided in his/her resume were truthfully stated.  Many employers would rather avoid problematic hirees, especially those who have a criminal past and those who might have lied or overstated their education, training or other qualifications.

Make a thorough research regarding someone’s employment history
Actually, employers are not legally required to make reference checks about their possible hires.  They simply turn to private investigators to conduct these checks for them in order to validate whatever information is offered by a job applicant.

Employers are also advised to have employment history records checked in order to avoid any liabilities that result from negligent hiring.  As a private investigator, it is your job to ensure that you perform a complete research regarding a person’s employment history records.  Missing a critical piece of information could cost your client a lot.

Know state restrictions regarding employment history records
Not every information you obtain out of someone’s employment history record can be considered as useful by your client.  There are certain states in the U.S. that forbid employers from using certain facts about their client as pre-employment qualifications.  These include age, race, national origin, ancestry, veteran status, physical disability or religion – information you can readily gather from an applicant’s employment records.

Find only relevant data
When checking a person’s employment history record, you should know beforehand the type of qualifications that are required from the applicant.  Focus on what the individual can give in terms of skills, training, knowledge, abilities, attitude and behavior at work based on his past and present performance.

Also, there is a wealth of information you can find on data that has not been provided on the individual’s employment history.  As a private investigator, you could, for example, check on any significant employment gap in the person’s work history – why did they not work for so long?  What were they doing during the interval?  What was the reason they quit in the first place?

When considering employment history records usage, a private investigator must always try to obtain data that will help their clients identify the most important information about a job applicant.  This in turn will help an employer make the right hiring decision.

image credits to sxc.hu

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