Sometimes winning and losing can be the difference between doing your homework. People are lazy. If you’re not, you’ll probably have more than the other side. Here are some links helpful to paralegals performing investigations in Nevada:
Nevada Secretary of State – Official names of business entities, their registered agents, their contact information, and their officers/members.
Important to find their official names to add them to the complaint
Nevada State Contractors Board – Contractors, their license numbers, their bond amounts, disciplinary history
Important for finding out who the bonding company is so you can sue it, too.
Clark County Assessor’s Office – Owners and prior owners of real property, deeds, information about home
Important in asset search; locating someone for service of process
Clark County Recorder’s Office – titles, liens, encumbrances on real property (can also order any recorded document, like a marriage license, birth certificate, etc.)
Discover what encumbrances there are on an asset you may want to go after
Dismissed entire fraud claim with evidence from recorder
Odyssey – prior lawsuits
Assess your own client’s history or that of the opposing party
Google – anything their name appears in online
John Luckett
Google Maps – aerial view of area
Great for preliminary investigation/client interview
Kelly Blue Book – car values
Westlaw/Lexis Public Records Search – address/phone number/birthday/prior addresses/criminal history
Employment Records – disciplinary history, wage history, lots of other good stuff
American Airlines records
Facebook – pictures/family activities, statements
Lyle Owens vacationing
Lost settlement because of Facebook
LinkedIn – information about their job/job history
Locate employer for service of process
Locate employer to subpoena for employment history
YouTube – videos; number 2 search engine
YouTube: MzPhit, “Ratchet”
For some things you have to actually go down to the building (groan). Floor plans, for example. But a lot of times you can just call, and they’ll get it for you (sometimes without a fee).
Include every cause of action you can – Abraham Lincoln divorce.
