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Doing research should always be your first step in preparing for legal action, but many people fear that it will be impossible to get all the facts. The good news is that much of the information you might need is contained in public records.
Many legal documents that have been made by or filed with the government are considered public record. This includes birth certificates, marriage records, divorce decrees, warrants and arrests, previous court cases, and death certificates. Here is your guide to looking into these kinds of public records.
Birth and Death Records
Proof of birth and death are the most commonly sought pieces of personal information online. While most online sites will not provide a printable birth or death certificate, the data provided can help to verify or guide further research. State websites usually provide links to vital statistics pages that contain more information, such as place of birth and other family data. For more in-depth data, consider familysearch.org or a similar site.
Marriage and Divorce Records
Proof of marriages and divorces are another frequently searched type of public record. Most states and many counties and cities maintain online records through the health department offices. Much like the birth and death records discussed earlier, access to the actual printable certificates and decrees will be limited to parties involved without paying a fee.
Civil and Criminal Court Records
As with each of the other types of records above, it is important to know what state, county, or city databases will be the most helpful in your search. This is particularly important as guidelines around civil and criminal records will be different. Civil court cases refer to issues between people, businesses/organizations, and other people. Criminal court cases refer to issues where people have been suspected of breaking a law or causing other serious harm.
Best Practices
No matter what type of public records you are trying to access to build your case, it is important to always move forward in the research process with as much information as possible. Better-informed research is quicker research. When in doubt or in need of additional assistance, find the right team to be in your corner.
The team at All Private Investigations, LLC is ready to help you make your case. We provide a wide variety of services to put you at ease. Call us at (631) 759-1414 or use the contact form to schedule your free consultation today.