Family Fights Over Missing Boaters' Kids

Amid the agony of coping with two relatives missing from an abandoned boat in the Atlantic, the family of Capt. Jake Branam and his wife, Kelley, are now at odds over custody of the couple's two young children.

The dispute pits several Branam family members against the Miami Beach family's former patriarch -- Joseph Harry Branam, 76 -- who has refused to share care of the couple's 2-year-old daughter and 4-month-old son, according to Miami-Dade court papers filed Thursday and Friday.

Your Civil Case May Require a Private Investigator

Investigation News - Your Civil Case May Require a Private Investigator - PInow.com Investigator Directory: "The truth is, civil investigators get results and often work closely with criminal investigators to uncover fraud, harassment, and other criminal activity. Attorneys often use civil investigators to gather information and evidence needed to win civil cases. However, and increasing number of plaintiffs are hiring civil investigators on their own. By hiring both an investigator and attorney, some plaintiffs are finding they can enjoy better results as well as more control over their cases. For example, plaintiffs involved in a drawn-out sexual harassment lawsuit against Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office were able to gather evidence of inappropriate language through civil investigation.


There are a number of civil cases that can be helped along with a civil investigation:

* Child custody and recovery cases. In these cases, civil investigators can uncover evidence of child abuse or neglect that can prove whether one spouse should be entrusted with the children more. Asset searches in these cases can reveal whether one spouse has hidden assets that can be used to support the children."

Domestic Investigations - When There is Trouble in the Home

Investigation News - Domestic Investigations - When There is Trouble in the Home - PInow.com Investigator Directory:
"Child Custody Investigations
Child custody and child support investigations help to keep your child safe and well-cared for. Investigators can run asset searches and missing persons searches in order to obtain the child support you have been awarded by a court. With the Department of Health and Human Services reporting that more than 46% of non-custodial mothers and more than 26% of non-custodial fathers totally default on support, these services are very common across the country today. Child custody investigations also can help ensure that the non-custodial parent does not neglect or abuse the child while they are in their care. This is a critical when you consider that since between 1976 and 1997, 11,000 children were murdered and thousands more were injured by parents or caregivers, according to the Present Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics."