Private investigators, attorneys, and legal teams rely on accurate, detailed information. They need to know where someone has been, what they’ve done, and who they’ve been involved with. One method rarely gives the full picture. But when you combine surveillance with background checks, you get a clearer look at someone’s actions and credibility.
Surveillance tracks current behavior. Background checks dig into past records. When used together, they give legal teams reliable, court-ready facts. This combination helps attorneys build strong arguments, spot red flags, and decide who to trust during litigation.
What Surveillance Really Shows
Surveillance is the direct observation of a person, place, or activity. Investigators use it to confirm or disprove claims, verify someone’s daily routine, or gather evidence for legal proceedings. Surveillance helps uncover behaviors that aren’t visible in written reports.
Physical Surveillance
This is the most traditional form. Investigators follow a subject in real time. They document activities through photos, video, or written reports. This method is especially useful in personal injury cases, custody disputes, or workers’ comp investigations. If someone claims they’re too injured to work but gets caught carrying heavy boxes, that footage becomes key evidence.
Digital Surveillance
People share a lot about themselves online. Social media surveillance pulls from platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn. It can show location tags, photos, group affiliations, or inconsistencies with someone’s public statements. For example, someone denying a relationship with a key witness might appear with that person in recent Instagram posts.
GPS Tracking (with proper legal approval)
In some cases, a court may allow GPS tracking. This shows where someone has been, how long they stayed, and how often they return to certain places. When matched with claims made during testimony or depositions, GPS records can support or challenge a story.
What Do Background Checks Show?
Background checks pull together public records, professional history, and past behavior. They don’t show intent or attitude, but they reveal patterns and red flags that can shape a case strategy.
Criminal History
Attorneys want to know if someone has a criminal past. Background checks may show arrests, charges, convictions, or probation history. A person’s past legal issues can affect their credibility on the stand or expose motive.
Employment and Education Records
A thorough background check can verify where someone has worked or gone to school. This helps confirm qualifications, timelines, and claims made in affidavits or resumes. If someone says they’ve held a job they never actually had, that lie raises questions about other parts of their story.
Civil Court Records
What do background checks show beyond criminal cases? They also highlight civil lawsuits. These can include business disputes, restraining orders, small claims judgments, or divorce records. A pattern of lawsuits or restraining orders can signal that a person is regularly involved in legal trouble.
Financial Red Flags
Bankruptcies, liens, and foreclosures show up in a background check. These details can suggest financial pressure or desperation, which may be relevant in fraud cases, custody hearings, or business litigation. Knowing whether someone is financially stable or struggling can influence settlement decisions.
Licenses and Certifications
Many professions require licenses such as medical, legal, real estate, or financial. A background check confirms whether someone holds a license and whether it’s active, suspended, or revoked. That matters in malpractice cases, professional negligence, or when verifying expert witnesses.
Why Investigators Use Both
Surveillance gives a current snapshot. Background checks show the history. Together, they fill in the blanks.
Let’s say an employee files a workers’ comp claim. Surveillance shows them jogging daily. The background check shows they’ve filed similar claims at two previous jobs. Now there’s a pattern. Without both methods, that pattern may never come to light.
Or take a family court case. A parent claims to be stable and present. Surveillance shows long absences. Background checks reveal multiple arrests for DUIs. Each source backs up the other, giving attorneys stronger ground to argue custody or visitation terms.
Timing Matters in Investigations
A common mistake is waiting too long to request investigative support. Attorneys often bring in help after discovery, or when trial prep begins. By then, some opportunities are gone. Surveillance works best when it starts early. Background checks take time to run, especially if someone has lived in multiple states. Starting both at the same time allows investigators to follow leads as they appear.
For example, a background check might show a subject recently moved. Surveillance at the old address would miss them entirely. But with updated info, investigators can quickly pivot and keep the work productive.
Legal and Ethical Boundaries
Investigators must follow the law during every part of their work. They can’t trespass, record conversations without consent in certain states, or track someone’s location without permission from a court. Background checks must also comply with federal rules, like the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), especially if used in employment-related cases.
Reputable firms follow strict procedures to protect client interests and prevent evidence from getting tossed in court. Good surveillance and strong background checks follow all legal requirements, so the findings hold up under scrutiny.
A Stronger Strategy With Verified Facts
Attorneys often face pressure to act fast. Deadlines come quickly, and facts can be hard to verify. That’s why it helps to work with investigators who know how to pair modern surveillance with accurate background checks. What do background checks show? The truth about someone’s past. What does surveillance reveal? Their current behavior. Together, they confirm or challenge the story being told.
Let Magna Legal Help You Get the Full Picture
No attorney wants to walk into court with half the facts. At Magna Legal Services, we help you get all the details, not just what’s in the file, but what’s happening right now. Work with expert investigators who combine surveillance with detailed background checks to give you reliable, court-ready evidence. Let us help you build your case with confidence. Contact Magna Legal today to get started.