Key Takeaways:
- “Skip tracing” combines records research, database analysis, and investigative verification.
- Investigators can search nationwide for defendants, witnesses, and missing clients.
- Accurate identifying information can improve the efficiency of a search.
- Standard locates may take three to five business days, while complex cases may require more time.
Our highly skilled personal injury investigators at USA Express help legal teams locate defendants, witnesses, and clients. A missing person can delay service, evidence collection, or communication during litigation. Skip tracing helps identify and verify location information nationwide, keeping case preparation moving.
What Is Skip Tracing and How Does It Work?
“Skip tracing” is the process of finding someone whose address, contact information, or whereabouts are outdated or unknown. In litigation, firms may use it to locate a defendant for service, reconnect with a client, or find a witness who moved after an accident.
Effective skip tracing services involve more than entering a name into one database. An investigator may review public records, address histories, phone records, property information, professional licenses, court filings, social media, and other legally available sources. Fieldwork or direct verification may then help confirm an address.
How Do Investigators Locate a Defendant Who Cannot Be Found?
Attorneys researching how to find a defendant may start with the last known address. Investigators can then examine connections to relatives, employers, businesses, properties, vehicles, and prior locations.
This work is useful after an unsuccessful service attempt or when a defendant appears to avoid contact. A coordinated locates service can pair research with service of process, reducing the need for separate providers. Investigators can also document their efforts, giving the law firm a clear record of the search and results.
Can Skip Tracing Find Witnesses Who Moved Out of State?
Yes. Nationwide skip tracing for attorneys can help locate witnesses across state lines. Investigators should verify a possible location before the legal team relies on it. Once a witness is found, investigators may assist with professional outreach or an interview.
What Information Do You Need to Start a Skip Trace?
Helpful information includes the person’s full legal name, aliases, approximate age or date of birth, last known address, telephone number, and email address. Former employers, relatives, vehicle details, social media profiles, and prior locations may narrow the search.
A firm does not need every detail to begin. However, accurate identifiers reduce false matches and help investigators focus on the individual. Firms should also explain the person’s connection to the case and the lawful purpose of the locate.
How Fast Can a Nationwide Skip Trace Be Completed?
USA Express states that most standard locates are completed within three to five business days, with rush service available for time-sensitive matters. Timing depends on the starting information, the subject’s records footprint, the jurisdictions involved, and whether fieldwork is needed.
Someone with a consistent address history may be located quickly. A person who uses aliases, moves frequently, has limited records, or avoids contact may require a complex locate. Firms should start before service deadlines, depositions, mediation, or trial whenever possible.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
Can skip tracing help find a missing client?
Yes. Investigators may use the client’s known identifiers and address history to develop and verify contact information.
Is skip tracing legal?
Skip tracing may use lawfully accessible records and investigative methods for a permissible purpose. Investigators must comply with applicable privacy and information-access laws.
What happens if the first search is inconclusive?
A complex locate may require additional records research, expanded identifiers, fieldwork, or verification through known connections.
Can locate results support service of process?
Yes. Verified location information may give a process server a viable address, although service must still follow the applicable jurisdiction’s rules.
Build Your Case With Assistance From Our Highly Skilled Personal Injury Investigators at USA Express
A missing defendant, witness, or client does not have to stop case preparation. Our personal injury investigators at USA Express provide investigative and litigation support for time-sensitive matters. For a free consultation to discuss skip tracing services and the right locate strategy for your case, call 877-872-3977 today or complete our online form. With office locations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego, California, we proudly serve clients nationwide.