What to know before you start.
If you need a known person’s or business’s available contact or location information, discuss skip tracing. If the question concerns property or business-asset indicators, ask about asset research. Tell us what is missing and what you already know so the research has a clear purpose and limit.
- Name the information gap and what you already know.
- Compare contact/location research with separately scoped asset research.
- Treat findings as source-supported leads and identify what still needs verification.
Identify the question behind a stalled account
An account can become difficult to work when contact information is outdated or the responsible business connection is unclear. A focused request describes the missing information and why it matters to the next decision.
Start with what is already known. That might include a previous address, business name or account contact, together with a short explanation of the question your team needs to resolve.
- Which information appears to be missing or outdated?
- What has already been checked?
- What is the account-related purpose of the request?
- How would useful information affect the next step?
Distinguish the kinds of research
Skip tracing concentrates on available contact and location information. Asset and business research considers available property, business and other asset-related indicators. Both may be relevant to an account, but they answer different questions.
A finding is information to review in context. It does not guarantee that a person will be reached, that an asset is available for recovery or that a balance will be paid.
Keep coordination separate
An unresolved account may also raise a documentation or referral question. Legal recovery coordination can be discussed when the client wants to consider an appropriate handoff to qualified legal resources. Legal advice and decisions remain with the responsible attorney and client.
Process-service work needs its own scope and availability discussion. It is not an automatic extension of a contact search.
Tell us what information is missing
Tell us the account question, what you already know and which information is missing. We’ll explain the available research, its limits and the findings you can expect to receive.
Use this guide to plan your question. We’ll confirm the work, coverage, price and timing before you decide.
