Divorce Investigations in Tacoma

A disputed address, missing property or unexplained spending can make divorce decisions harder. We compare the claim with lawful observations, records and a dated timeline so you and your attorney can assess the evidence. Washington Courts caseload data lists 4,070 Pierce County domestic-relations cases in 2024; the county’s divorce rate of 3.6 per 1,000 residents is among the state’s highest. Those figures give local context, but your deadlines depend on your case. Confirm filing, service and hearing requirements with counsel or Pierce County Superior Court. Washington’s minimum waiting period is not a promised completion date.

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Facts we can investigate during a divorce

Divorce Investigations

Washington is a no-fault divorce state. The investigative question may still matter to property, support or parenting: who uses a home, whether a disclosed address matches observed routines, or whether records explain a financial discrepancy. We work from a specific disputed fact and document information that supports or contradicts it.

Residence and spending: compare claimed living arrangements with residence-use dates, cohabitation indicators and available records of spending or activity.
After separation: document property use, overnight-stay patterns and concerns about marital funds, keeping each observation tied to its date.
High net worth situations: if you suspect hidden business interests, shell companies, offshore accounts, or undisclosed assets like vehicles, boats, or property - we develop leads and document what can be verified through lawful sources.
Evidence: compare the parties’ statements with independent observations and records, identifying both corroboration and unresolved differences.
Purpose: give you and your attorney facts to review when preparing for negotiations, disclosure questions or a hearing.
What you receive: a chronology, observation notes, supporting records and available photos or video, with sources and limits identified.
What we won't do: hack accounts, impersonate anyone, trespass, or make unlawful recordings.

When other life changes affect the evidence

Bankruptcy, pregnancy and continuing shared property use can change which dates and documents matter. Tell us about these circumstances early so the investigation addresses the question your family actually faces.

Divorce and Bankruptcy Overlap

Keep debt statements, disclosure records and dates showing who used or controlled property around the bankruptcy and separation. We can compare those records; your attorneys assess how the two proceedings affect disclosure and property decisions.

View Bankruptcy Resource

Pregnancy and Divorce Timing

During pregnancy, changing living arrangements and financial support may need a dated record. Preserve relevant communications and documents you lawfully hold, and ask counsel how pregnancy affects the case schedule.

View Pregnancy Resource

Vehicle and Property Use After Separation

Record who uses a vehicle, home or storage space after separation, when that use occurs and what documents show about possession. Observation can document use; it does not decide ownership or a right of access.

View Property-Use Resource

Post-Decree Property and Loose Ends

If a promised transfer has not occurred, gather the decree, transfer documents and records showing who still possesses or controls the property. An omitted asset or liability may require a separate review with counsel.

View Post-Decree Transfer Resource

View Undisposed Assets Resource

Legal Separation vs Divorce Finality

A legal separation can settle property, support and parenting issues even before the marriage is dissolved. Bring the actual orders so later investigation addresses what remains disputed rather than assuming every issue is still open.

View Legal Separation Resource

Equitable Property Division and Waste Issues

Acquisition dates, transfers, debts, tax records and spending can help explain a property dispute. We document possible waste or concealed value; counsel assesses fairness, characterization and division.

View Property-Division Resource

Maintenance and Agreement-Driven Financial Disputes

Maintenance disputes may turn on need, earning capacity and financial changes during the marriage. When an agreement is involved, compare its terms and dates with the records of what actually occurred.

View Maintenance Resource

View Agreement Resource

Unmarried Breakup and Cohabitation Overlap

An unmarried breakup may still leave questions about a shared home, pooled expenses, caregiving and property use. We can document that history chronologically; counsel determines its legal significance.

View Unmarried-Breakup Resource

Business interests and shared-residence questions

Some disputed facts need focused work. A business ownership lead calls for different records than a claim that someone has moved into a partner’s home.

High Net Worth Divorce Investigations

Trace business filings, ownership links and property use in a financially complex divorce. These findings can identify further questions for counsel or an accountant; they are not a complete financial audit.

Cohabitation Investigations

Compare arrivals, departures, overnight stays and residence records across dates to assess whether a recurring shared-household pattern is supported.

How we check disputed facts

We select methods around the question and the records already available. A public filing may resolve a business connection; a disputed use of property may need observation as well.

Surveillance Services

Lawful observation can show who uses a home, vehicle or other property during the approved period. We record dates and gaps so a limited window is not mistaken for a complete history.

Background Check Services

Court records, business filings and property records can identify names, transactions and links for further review. Each finding includes its source.

Digital Forensics Services

We preserve and review messages, files or exports you are authorized to provide, keeping available dates and original context for comparison with the disputed account.

Location Services

We check address, workplace and business-location leads against available records and lawful observations. A historical address remains a lead until current use is established.

Local records and deadlines

Pierce County court scheduling, local ownership records and JBLM-related finances can each affect the documents and dates an investigation needs.

Court Volume and Timeline Reality

Pierce County Superior Court processed 4,070 domestic-relations cases in 2024. Family-law hearing availability affects investigation planning. Washington's 90-day minimum waiting period is distinct from the actual case schedule; confirm its start conditions, service requirements and hearing dates with counsel. Agree investigative and reporting deadlines around that schedule.

Community Property Documentation

Acquisition dates and ownership or use records can help your attorney assess property characterization and disclosure. Relevant sources may include the Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer, Washington Secretary of State, and banking or employment documents you or counsel can lawfully provide.

Military Dissolution Considerations

JBLM-connected divorces can involve military pensions, BAH classification and TSP balances alongside Washington property questions. Preserve each category separately so counsel can evaluate the intersection of federal military law and state law. Pierce County has a substantial military-dissolution caseload.

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Washington Law and Court Sources

Review the linked property and maintenance statutes with counsel, and use the Pierce County court and LINX resources for case information. An investigation supplies facts; it does not decide how the law divides property or support.

Planning around your divorce deadlines

Start with the specific claim, the documents you already have and the next disclosure or hearing date. We can then identify a manageable task and explain what it may establish.

First conversation: The first consultation is free and lasts 30 minutes. Tell us what happened, which orders apply and what you need to establish. Additional communication outside the purchased task is $150/hour, prepaid separately; communication already included in the task is not charged twice.
Scheduling: Most plans are developed within 48 hours once the timing pressure, activity area, and evidence priorities are clear. Share filing, service and hearing dates before booking. We confirm the investigation window and reporting schedule after reviewing the locations, records and restrictions involved.
Costs: Lite is $150 per investigator-hour; Heavy is $300 per investigator-hour. Preparation and report writing each cost $150/hour. Round-trip travel from our Tacoma office is $2.50/minute. Other time is billed in whole hours, with partial hours rounded up. Each purchased service hour carries $15 in expense credit for Lite or $30 for Heavy. Credits on hours used for your task cover only that task's expenses; any remainder expires at report delivery. Expenses are charged at cost. Applicable surcharges are separate dollar charges, not deductions from service hours. We confirm the work, schedule and prepaid costs by text and email. See Pricing for unused-time, credit, specialist and other fee terms.
Your report: You receive a dated account of the work, findings and supporting material, with sources and unresolved questions identified. Report time is $150/hour. The ordinary deadline is 9 p.m. Pacific on the next business day after the task finishes, including return travel; completion after midnight uses that new calendar date. Business days exclude weekends and the 11 federal holiday periods, each including the day before and after. A faster report costs $300 only when you request it and we accept, plus report time. We notify you of priority delays or additional approved report work and update delivery timing.

Related Evidence and Planning Guides

Hidden asset searches in a divorce: Separate lawful ownership and activity leads from a complete financial audit or access to private accounts.
Which family law records matter: Identify relevant records you already hold lawfully before choosing a method.
What you receive from an investigation: Understand the difference between observations, supporting media and separately billed reporting.

Questions about divorce investigation support

How many divorce cases does Pierce County handle each year?

Pierce County Superior Court processed 4,070 domestic-relations cases in 2024, making it one of Washington's highest-volume divorce jurisdictions. This volume affects hearing availability and the timeline for contested matters moving through the three dedicated family-law departments.

How long does a contested divorce typically take in Pierce County?

Washington's minimum waiting period is 90 days, subject to the applicable filing and service requirements; it is not a completion date. Custody, asset-division or support cases, disclosure and hearing availability affect the actual schedule in Pierce County Superior Court. Agree investigative and reporting deadlines separately with counsel.

What kind of evidence is most useful in a Tacoma divorce case?

Useful evidence answers a specific disputed claim. That may include financial records, parenting involvement, dated property use or a residence timeline tied to actual addresses. We identify each source and its limits; your attorney decides what is relevant to the petition and how to present it.

Can a private investigator help if my spouse is hiding assets in Pierce County?

Yes. Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer records, Washington Secretary of State business filings, and city of Tacoma business licenses can reveal undisclosed property and business interests. We document public-record leads and compare them with disclosure materials you or your attorney can lawfully provide. A property or business link is not by itself proof of ownership, value or concealment.

Identify the fact that is holding up a decision

Tell us what is disputed, what records you already hold and when your attorney needs the information. We can discuss whether records research, observation or another focused task could help you move forward.

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