I was horrified to hear from a Law School representative that lawyers don’t need private investigators, ever! This is not only ridiculous and untrue, it is damaging to the client and their case, and may be a failure by the lawyer.
In the real world, clients seldom have all the facts, and rarely is what they say backed up by actual evidence.
Lawyers need to use competent investigation services to gather facts, (evidence, not supposition), to support that client’s case.
There are many reasons why investigations are so underused. Sometimes it’s budget. Sometimes it is because the lawyer believes that the client’s version of events is so accurate, that no verification, nor any supporting information is required. Sometimes it is due to a lack of understanding as to what sorts of useful information can be uncovered by an investigator turning over all the stones to see what lurks beneath.
A good lawyer, supported by an energetic, competent, Investigation Agency, with good investigators, properly gathering and presenting evidence, can accomplish a huge amount.
The evidence will frequently indicate aspects of the case of which the lawyer is unaware.
However:
- You must know what you know;
- You must know what you don’t know;
- And most importantly, you must know what you need to know!