More and more couples in the UK are drawing up pre-nuptial agreements as part of their pre-wedding plans. Pre-nups, as they’re called, have been used in the USA for many years, but with changes to the law in this country, there has been a surge of interest from couples. Basically, a pre-nup is an agreement whereby you state how everything is to be shared – or not – in the event of any future divorce. It may sound a cold and calculated approach, but it’s a practical way of protecting your assets before you tie the knot. If you’re thinking of signing a pre-nup, before you do so, you may want to consider having some background checks done on your spouse-to-be.  

Again, you may not feel comfortable about hiring a private investigator to do this, but it can be a great way of putting your mind at rest – especially if you have any lingering doubts over how much you really know about your partner. A thorough, pre-nup surveillance report can include such things as credit checks, details about any previous marriages, information about dependents, asset check, register of companies or directorships – in short, anything you want to know. Using an experienced investigator to run the checks means you don’t have to get involved, when you may well be blinded by your own emotions and see only what you want to see. You also avoid the risk of being detected, and having to justify your motivation. 

Internet dating

Whatever we want these days, we look for it online – and for some of us that includes our next date, or maybe even a future spouse. Some estimates claim that over nine million people in the UK use dating sites, with the over 55s comprising the fastest growing age group and 25-34 year olds, the most active demographic  (http://www.datingsitesreviews.com/article.php?story=Online-Dating-Statistics-for-2012). 

There’s plenty of advice available on the do’s and don’ts of internet dating, and most people understand the potential risks involved. If you are fortunate enough to meet someone and the relationship starts to develop to the point where you’re thinking of moving in together, or getting married, you owe it to yourself to make sure you know all you need to know about this new person in your life.  Hopefully, the one you’ve met is exactly who they say they are, but we’ve all read reports about someone being conned out of money or only married for the sake of providing a UK residency by people they met online.  A skilled private investigator will be able to carry out some simple background checks and/or surveillance, to find out more about the person, before you take things any further.

White lies or worse?

If you’re planning to employ someone, you may initially  decide on a shortlist of candidates based on the information on their CV, but how do you know which ones are lying about their qualifications and levels of experience? According to the UK fraud prevention service, Cifas, of all the employment frauds reported to them in 2014, 63% of them involved lies on CVs about education and qualifications (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-31594181). 

Following up references and checking out the veracity of claims can be a time consuming process and if all you are doing is making a few calls, does that give you all the assurance you need? A private investigator, on the other hand, can do the background checks necessary so you can make an informed choice about who to employ. Decisions over the people you employ are different from those you make about personal relationships but can be every bit as important. Certainly, if you make the wrong choice, the consequences can be serious.