Some call it "divorce planning" and some call it fraud, we call it following the money. Regardless of what you call it, here are 3 red flags to look for that indicate that your spouse is preparing to leave you out in the cold.

1) Sudden Reduction in Earnings
If one  spouse is planning their exit strategy, one move they might make is to drastically understate their earnings in the time leading up to the initial divorce proceedings. The purpose behind this is to trick the courts into ordering more favorable (to the fraudster) alimony and child support payments. If the spouse is an employee and they are suddenly taking home less  then they ever have, it could be that they may have arranged for their boss to pay them in some other way outside of their normal paycheck (are they close with their boss?), defer payments and bonuses until after the divorce, or they could suddenly stop working overtime. If they are employed by a business that handles a lot of cash, they may be getting paid in cash and under the table. If the plotting spouse owns a business, this is far trickier to catch because any number of tactics can be employed. They can hide earnings in shell companies, pay large sums to contractors,  family members, friends, or employees with the agreement to collect the overpayments after the divorce. They can "sell" their business or part of it for way under market value with the intention of purchasing it back after the divorce. They can manipulate sales to appear that the business is suddenly tanking, and the list goes on.  Sudden reduction in earnings tops our list for most common schemes that indicate divorce planning is underway.

​2) 2 on the list is moving assets. The plotter may start trying to dump assets by transferring them to third parties or shell companies. For example let's say out of nowhere your spouse convinces you that he's just not interested in his prized classic car collection anymore. He doesn't have the time to maintain them and he just wants them to go to a good home where they will be well cared for. He then proceeds to "sell" them to car club buddies and family members for way less then they are worth, and donate them to Non-profits. You think it's weird that hubby suddenly has a heart for charity but you brush it off as him having a come to Jesus moment... Only a year after your divorce, he comes to pick up little Billy in the same car he supposedly donated to the non profit prior to the divorce. Turns out the non profit had an auction, ex hubby was the only one to attend because all his car buddies are on the board, and he got his prized classic back using the money leftover from the sale of his classic chevy that he sold to Uncle Phil for $3,500 who then turned around and sold it on behalf of  ex hubby -for what it was really worth- which was around $35,000. And you of course got nothing out of any of these even though you were tortured with car shows all weekend every weekend and paid to have some restored for his 40th bday. Yikes! Moving assets is a giant screaming flag. 

3) Lifestyle changes. This category is broad and can incorporate many behaviors and activities. For the most part people do not get divorced out of nowhere. A reason for many divorces is adultery. There are many red flags associated with cheating that are out of the scope of this blog post, however, there are some financial red flags to look for in regards to adultery and lifestyle changes that can signal a departure from the marriage. Is the spouse in question suddenly spending large amounts of money on their appearance? New clothes, boob job, hair and nails done up for the first time ever, gym memberships, etc.
Is the spouse suddenly making cash purchases instead of using their card? Could it be because they did not want you to see the dinner for 2 at the Melting Pot that wasn't with you? Is the spouse suddenly spending more time out of the country in places that have banking practices conducive to hiding money in offshore accounts?

In conclusion, there are many red flags that point to fraud in divorce, but the ones that we have outlined above seem to hold prevalence. The sooner you become aware of the schemes, the better the outcome for you. It hurts my heart every time I hear someone say that they got bamboozled in their divorce negotiations because they just didn't see it coming even though the signs were all there for years...
Call us if you need us, we are always ready to help.  
Lux in Tenebris

Out of the businesses I currently own and the previous businesses I have owned, my Private Investigations business has been the most unique from a marketing stand point. Why? Because most people go their whole lives without ever using a PI and do not really having an understanding of why they would need one or what we could do to help (thank you holly wood)! To demonstrate my point I will now take a quick detour;
Every once in a while I like to turn on the corniest PI movie I can find to see what ridiculous expectations the entertainment industry is equipping the general public with. The last movie was called "so undercover" and it started out with a female PI scaling a roof to catch a political figure having an affair. She lands in the room, blows her cover and proceeds to get chased around by the cheater with a golf club before taking the golf club from him and beating him with it to get away (enter face palm emoji). While my team will certainly  NOT be scaling roofs, there is a glimmer of truth here which brings me to my first point:
Private Individuals:
Private. Investigators serve private individual clients for a number of reasons with the most common being adultery and child custody matters. In some states, such as SC, adultery is taken very seriously by the courts and if proven by a PI, the cheating spouse is considered "at fault"" and the other spouse has more negotiating power.
My firm also specializes in hidden assets and messy financial investigations to make sure that the negotiations are from a place of truthfulness in regards to the marital estate.  One of the best cases I worked on was a spouse who was hiding an entire condo in another state from his wife. We knew that he was cheating but he never brought his mistress to the condo so our boots on the ground tactics did not pick it up. We were however able to find it by looking at the finances that were produced in the discovery process. We noticed transferrs going to a bank account that our client had no knowledge of. Once the attorney was able to get those statements from the bank, we were able to see payments to a general contractor. The client confirmed that she was not getting work done on her house so we called the contractor and got receipts. The receipts had an address and the address was to a condo which we then pulled the deed on. The deed showed that the condo was purchased within the previous few months and was bought by  an LLC owned by Mr. Cheater and Mrs. Mistress. Follow the money honey!!
Another reason why a private individual may hire a PI outside of family court matters is general litigation support (think suing your contractor for breach of contract). 
Finally, we also (although much rarer) get retained to locate missing loved ones or to conduct counter surveillance measures such as in anti stalking and harassment cases. 

Corporations/Businesses
The next category of entities that typically retain PI's (and my personal favorite type of client) are businesses and corporations. We conduct due diligence on employees, partners, investors, and contractors to limit the risk of bad actors committing fraud.  We also conduct fraud investigations in the case of activities such as embezzlement and misappropriation of assets. Perhaps my favorite service we provide though is in the realm of business intelligence, which is a fancy way for saying we conduct an analysis  to help our clients gain a competitive edge in marketing and overall profitability. We also help our clients with litigation support and reputation protection.

Attorney Clients 
Last but certainly not  least are our attorney clients. We help attorneys gather information to support their cases in the realm of criminal defense, and civil litigation. Some common services we provide are in depth background investigations and locating and interviewing witnesses. 

To conclude;
Although some people go their whole lives without ever hiring a PI, chances are at one point or another you could have actually benefitted from one! Next time you find yourself with a court date, a spouse who has suddenly changed their routine, or wondering about the truthfulness of your candidate's resume, feel free to reach out and let us provide you with the clarity you need to make prudent decisions and obtain leverage in your court case.

Amanda Appi CFE, PI, CEO
Immaculate Investigations LLC

​A Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) can assist in a divorce by providing expertise in detecting and investigating financial misconduct. Here’s how a CFE can help:

1. **Asset Discovery**: CFEs can identify hidden or undisclosed assets by analyzing financial records and transactions.

2. **Income Analysis**: They can assess the accuracy of reported income and uncover discrepancies or hidden sources of income.

3. **Fraud Detection**: If there are suspicions of fraudulent activities, such as financial deceit or asset concealment, a CFE can investigate and provide evidence.

4. **Valuation of Assets**: They can help in valuing complex assets, ensuring that all financial aspects are accurately represented.

5. **Expert Testimony**: CFEs can provide expert testimony in court, explaining their findings and the implications for the division of assets and liabilities.

Their skills in forensic accounting and fraud investigation can be crucial for achieving a fair and equitable divorce settlement.

I have been in business since 2017, and unlike most people starting out, I had absolutely zero resources. There was no budget for marketing or anything else to be honest. I spent my days and nights Ubering to have enough money to fund myself and my business and to put myself in front of people for the purpose of handing out business cards to anyone who would listen.  Google Adwords, billboards, digital marketing, mailers, or any thing else that cost money was out of the realm of possibilities. There was also no plan B. Most people in my industry are retired LEO and have a pension to fall back on. For me it was sink or swim. 

As it turns out, this was the best thing that ever could have happened to me and what I now refer to as "the power of being broke" which I took from the people's shark Daymond John (purchase here). I had to be creative, and the solution to all my problems, I found,  was relationship building aka networking, which was free minus some small expenses such as business cards and gas. I would Uber my way around and whenever I got close to a law firm, I would stop in and introduce myself. I would invite paralegals to lunch or happy hour  (happy hour prices were a life saver), and I would build a relationship with them. To me this was not an unnatural thing as I am a natural extrovert and I am genuinely interested in other people's lives (My temperaments are split 50/50 between sanguine and choleric...if you don't know what that means click here and find out your temperament which can help tremendously in business in regards to identifying your strengths and weaknesses and hiring a team accordingly). The point is, I wasn't there for the quick  sale, I was there to build long lasting bonds. 

I am writing this because people see how much I network, and wonder if it is worth their time to do the same. The short answer is yes, the long answer is let's take a snap shot of my last 5 surveillance cases for a better idea.

3 cases were referrals from paralegals that I have built relationships with by meeting them in person.

1 case came from an internet search. 

1 case came from another business owner, unrelated to the legal industry, who I built a relationship with. 

To put things in perspective, I do not use google Adwords but I do organically show up on the first page of google for my area,  according to a recent website audit. 

But wait there's more. I also track my leads/conversions and have found that the referrals from humans, produce a better quality of client meaning they are more likely to sign a contract and pay a retainer then someone who has simply found me on google.

So you tell me? Is networking worth it? I am a firm believer that  in a world of AI and tech, the human relationship wins every time. 

Amanda Appi
CEO
Immaculate Investigations, LLC
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina 

The Process Server Mindset
Because of the fact that most states have a plethora of different laws regarding civil service of process, coming to any kind of consensus on “the proper way to serve a paper” across the board is a semi challenging task. However, one thing that process servers from California to South Carolina can agree on is the fact that serving papers is an acquired skill and there is a certain etiquette that goes along with it. Aside from the obvious importance of knowing your state laws, I believe the mindset of a process server is equally as important.
 
Like most professionals, I have found that process servers have different philosophies on how they approach the bearer of bad news role.  One mindset that is common among servers is the "hunter" mentality. These types make it their life mission to hunt you down and serve you. The more evasive the better. While I can relate to this (I have tracked people down by a t- shirt logo on their Facebook picture...story for another time), the problem with the hunter mentality is that once you are actually in front of the person it is necessary to turn hunter mode  off.  The same aggressiveness that produced the information that put you in front of the person can be felt by that person and interpreted as confrontational once you are face to face and trying to get them to take your documents.  There is definitely a time for hunter mode, but it is usually in the skip-tracing phase.
 
Make them feel like you are on their side:

The first important thing to note is that I usually give everyone the benefit of the doubt. I am honest about who I am, and I  try my best to use all means (phone, text, email, social media) of communication to get in touch with the person. The reason I do this is to prove due diligence and so the excuse of “I didn’t know they were trying to serve me papers” is eliminated. People also have more respect for you and are more likely to do what you want them to do if they trust you. If all transparent efforts fail, I then go on to use more covert methods, but only as a last resort.

From my early professional experiences in leadership positions in primarily male dominated fields, I have found that the best way to get someone to do something they don’t want to do or are unsure of doing, is to make them feel like you are on their side. This method has never ever let me down. I have found more success as a process server if I approach people from a position of “let me help you” rather than “you are taking my papers whether you like it or not,” even though the latter may very well be the case.  

Keep in mind, for the most part I keep my serves as simple as possible and say as little as possible along the lines of  "I have time sensitive legal documents for you. Be sure to read through the documents and consult an attorney if need be." Most people accept my papers without any issues. For the more suspicious or hesitant ones my speech goes something like this:

“Listen I know you are probably not happy to see me but my whole purpose here is to make sure your constitutional rights are protected.  It is important that you are informed of the complaints being made against you and that you are afforded the opportunity to tell your side of the story.”

The wonderful part about my "let me help you" speech is that it's all true. In fact if it wasn't for due process we would all be out of a job. I always do this with as much respect as possible and with a tone that does not involve talking down to the person being served. If they are rational humans, once they hear that they get to tell their side of things, they usually accept service. 

Depending on the person, putting them at ease right off the bat is also an efficient way of conducting business. If someone opens the door and the first thing they hear is "your rosebush is absolutely gorgeous," they will have a harder time slamming the door in your face. Find a balance here though because no one likes a you-know-what kisser and people can tell when you're not genuine.  

In conclusion, most of the time people are willing to work with you if they get the impression that you are not there to do them any harm (physically or financially).  If you can put them at ease and make them feel like you are doing them a favor by serving them papers you will be a better server, enjoy what you do, and you'll get more "thank yous" than insults.  Serving papers is a little like sales, and it takes a skilled sales person to influence someone to buy a product they don't want!

A special thank you to Grooms & Thomas Attorneys at Law LLC. for their kind words. We are passionate about serving our clients and love feedback.

"Top notch service! I highly recommend their services and will certainly be using them again."

It was a pleasure working with Mr. Thomas. This firm is prompt and professional and works to fulfill your needs in the greater Myrtle Beach, SC area. Practice areas include:
Criminal Defense
DUI
Workers Compensation
Plaintiff Injury
Auto Accidents
Wills & Probate.
Check out their website at  http://groomsandthomaslaw.com/

"Few animals can hide from a hungry shark. Notorious for their intense and dogged manner of tracking prey, sharks are extremely tactical about finding and catching their food." 
source-https://sharkopedia.discovery.com/sha…/feeding-hunting-diet/
*Revised Edition -Apex style*
"Few persons to be served can hide from the pink sharks. Notorious for their intense and dogged manner of tracking evasive individuals, the pink sharks are extremely skilled in finding and delivering legal documents to their targets."
source - www.apexlss.com

A special Thank you to Weathers Law Firm LLC. in Pawley's Island, SC. for the tremendous review!
We love to hear from happy clients as we strive for quick and effective service. It is truly a blessing to work with such wonderful people. If the sharks can't find them no one can!

"Amanda and Maureen are not only professionals, but extremely pleasant to work with. Weathers Law Firm, LLC gave them a needle in a haystack to locate for us and not only were they successful, but they were successful within a day!! We wish them every success with Apex Legal Support Services, LLC and we highly recommend them!! Thank you Ladies!! 
P. S. We also LOVE that they support our VETERANS!!"