Should I hire a Private Investigator

The answer is...it depends.  What are the issues that you are trying to prove?  What is the investment that you will be making in the private investigator?  What do you hope to get out of the investigation?  Whenever we use the services of another professional in the divorce process it is important to determine the cost and the return on investment.So, what are some ways to measure your return on investment?Alimony.  The law in South Carolina states that an adulterous affair that occurs before a couple of things happen (the signing of a marital settlement agreement or a final order of separate maintenance) is an absolute bar to alimony.  So, if you are in a position where it is likely that you will be required to pay your spouse alimony, then spending some money - even spending a lot of money - on a private investigator will provide a great return on your investment by preventing you from making an alimony payment every month for the rest of your spouse's life if the PI can establish an adulterous affair.Divorce.  Often adulterous relationships happen in mysterious places and in hidden locations.  These are not things most people do out in the open.  So, obtaining proof of an affair is not always easy.  If you are certain that you want to proceed with filing for divorce on adultery grounds then you should consider hiring a private investigator.  PI's work with attorneys to know what evidence is needed for the attorney to establish adultery.  In this case, the ROI is probably best measured in the speed of the divorce.  It is possible if all other issues can be worked out quickly for your divorce to be final in as little as 90 days.  Though, if any other issues (property division, custody, etc.) remain contested then your divorce is likely to take a much longer time.Children's Issues.  Depending on what you are trying to prove, your ROI will be less about making money on this issue and more about proving with photographic and third party evidence what you believe is going on.  Clients make claims about their spouse's behavior with the children all the time based on what they hear the children say or what their "gut" is telling them.  But it is hard to convince a judge to take some action such as restricting visitation in some way without some physical evidence.  A PI can surveil your spouse to determine if they are really taking care of the child or determine if they are allowing the children to have contact with people they are forbidden to see such as a boyfriend or girlfriend.Financial Issues.  Sometimes a person's financial declaration would have you believe that they are destitute and can't go on living if they are made to pay alimony or child support.  Most of the time this is when a spouse is self-employed and they do not receive a paycheck from an employer to establish their true income.  But, when you really dig into their lifestyle you see that they have a pretty extravagant lifestyle that would require an pretty significant income.  When you actually look at the living expenses such as mortgages, car payments, and spending on fun activities you can try to establish that there is an income greater than what the other spouse is trying to portray.So, depending on the issue you desire to have investigated, you should work with your divorce lawyer and private investigator to determine about how much of an investigation is going to cost you and what you can benefit by having the investigation done.  Sometimes the return will not be worth it.  Other times it will be very much worth it!