FINDING YOUR CLIENT’S CLIENT
Believe it or not, a common request from law firms is to help the firm find their lost client. There are many reasons why a law firm loses contact with their client. I find that most often the firm’s client simply moved or had a change in phone number and forgot to notify the paralegal/attorney assigned to their case.
Now, here’s a little investigative secret. Don’t overcomplicate things! The first thing that I do when I get one of these cases is to confirm with the law firm that I have their permission to speak to family and friends about the matter. Almost always, they allow me to. Next, I do a quick database address history and MVD check to see if there are any obvious indications as to the new address. If the client recently moved, the databases and MVD checks can result in a dead end. Now what? Simple. Start calling their closest family members. In most circumstances, a family member will get you in touch with the person you are looking for. With the help of family and friends, you can complete these locates quickly and within a reasonable budget. No need for fancy OSINT work, neighborhood canvassing, or a social media deep dive.
In the past month, I have had three of these cases. Two of the cases were closed after making a single phone call to the clients’ relatives. The third case was a bit tougher because the family wasn’t in contact. But that case also closed quickly because a simple USPS change of address check revealed the new address.
Not every case needs to be completed from the shadows. Sometimes the best route to take is to be overt.