There are times in either the divorce or custody proceedings where it may be necessary to hire a Private Investigator to gather evidence in support of your case. In this article, we will look at the role that Private Investigators play and when a Party might require such services.
Role of a Private Investigator
As the title might suggest, a Private Investigator will conduct investigations in a manner that is discreet. Their ability to go about undetected allows them to survey their designated target (the “Subject”) who will go about their day none the wiser.
A Subject who is trying to conceal something from their spouse will naturally be more guarded around them. Accordingly, the Subject will take active measures to ensure that they hide any evidence that might incriminate them.
In contrast, the Subject will be unaware of who the Private Investigator is, much less that they are even being monitored. This means that the Subject is more likely to let their guard down and behave as they normally would. As such, engaging a Private Investigator might allow one to obtain information about the Subject that would otherwise not be available.
Establishing Adultery
In the context of matrimonial proceedings, one would typically engage a Private Investigator when they suspect that their spouse is having an extra-marital affair. If one wishes to cite their spouse’s adultery as the basis of a divorce, they will need strong evidence of their infidelity.
There is a high evidential threshold required to satisfy the Singapore Courts that one’s spouse has committed adultery. The Party seeking to divorce on the basis of adultery would have to provide evidence that their spouse has engaged in sexual intercourse (i.e., penetration) with another person of the opposite gender.
Barring an admission from the cheating Party, one of the best forms of evidence is a Private Investigator’s report. As mentioned above, an adulterous spouse might take precautions in front of the Party, but is more likely to behave naturally in their absence.
A Private Investigator may therefore be able to capture moments of the cheating Party behaving intimately with the Third Party or both of them entering places with suggestive undertones like a hotel room. Such incidents will be detailed in the Private Investigator’s report, along with photographic evidence in support of the same.
With the Private Investigator’s report, a Party will therefore increase the likelihood of being able to establish their spouse’s infidelity and consequently cite their adultery as reason for divorce.
Evidence of Lack of Parenting
In a similar vein, one may also wish to engage a Private Investigator to procure evidence of their spouse’s poor parenting. This would be particularly important in contested divorce proceedings where Parties are fighting over the care and control of their children.
For instance, one’s spouse might portray themselves as an ideal parent that practically devotes all of their free time to their child. However, a Private Investigator’s report detailing how this Party habitually spends nights out drinking serves as damning evidence that reveals the truth.
Another example of when a Private Investigator might be useful would be where one suspects that their spouse has been physically or emotionally abusive to their children. The Private Investigator would be able to find out whether a Party has been untoward to the children while the other party is not around.
Seeking a Private Investigator
Not all matters require the services of a Private Investigator. However, in certain instances, it might be worth considering hiring one to substantiate your case with the necessary evidence. In accordance with the Singapore Police Force’s rules, a Private Investigator should hold the requisite Workforce Skills Qualification certifications and be licensed to work as one.
