Child Custody Investigations in Coconut Grove, FL
When you cannot be there during the other parent's time, we document what happens so a judge can see it.
Free, private consultation for parents and family law attorneys.
What a Custody Judge Needs Is Facts, and Facts Are Hard to Get
Family court in Miami-Dade runs on the best interests of the child, and a judge deciding a parenting plan under Chapter 61 has to weigh two parents’ versions of the same weekend. Your account of what the other parent does is testimony. Video of it is evidence.
Wasser Investigations has worked custody matters in Coconut Grove since 1985. Travis Wasser handles every case personally. He documents the exchange at the curb, the car that shows up at the house after bedtime, the bar the parent is in while the kids are home with a sitter, and the school pickup that never happens. Then he writes it up in a report that reads the way a judge expects.
Parents Who Are Worried and Attorneys Who Need More Than a Client’s Word
You Have a Reason to Be Concerned
Maybe it is drinking. Maybe a new partner you know nothing about is sleeping over. Maybe your child comes home saying things that do not add up. We listen without judgment, tell you what we can lawfully document, and get to work. We also tell you when the other parent is doing fine, because that matters for your peace of mind and your case.
Evidence That Survives Cross-Examination
Timestamped video, a clean chain of custody, and an investigator who has testified in Miami-Dade family court for decades. We coordinate on timing so surveillance lines up with the timesharing schedule and the issues in your motion.
Six Things That Change Parenting Plans
Overnight guests during timesharing
A new partner’s car in the driveway at midnight and still there at dawn. Judges care who is around the children, and we run a background check on the guest.
Alcohol and drug use
Time spent in bars and lounges around Commodore Plaza or Grand Avenue while the children are in the parent’s care, driving after drinking, and associates with drug histories.
Supervision
Children left alone, left with unvetted sitters, or in the care of someone the court ordered away from them.
Living conditions
The home’s exterior, the people coming and going, and whether the parent actually lives where they told the court they live.
Schedule compliance
Late pickups, missed exchanges, school absences, and the parent who says they are at work but is at the marina.
Relocation and violation of orders
A parent who has moved the child without permission, or who is in contact with someone a court order forbids.
Custody Surveillance in a Neighborhood That Watches
Coconut Grove families live close together. The streets north of Main Highway and around Ransom Everglades and Carrollton are quiet enough that a strange car draws attention in an hour. School pickup lines, Peacock Park on a Saturday, and the sailing club on a Sunday are all places where one parent’s friends know the other parent’s face.
We have worked these streets from Coral Gables, next door, for forty years. We position at a distance, rotate vehicles, and never make contact with the children or the other parent. If a session would risk exposure, we pull off and come back. A compromised custody investigation is worse than no investigation.
The Custody File
- Timestamped video and photographs from each surveillance session
- A written report with a timeline, organized by timesharing period
- Background reports on any adults observed with the children
- Chain-of-custody documentation
- Investigator testimony at hearings or trial at the Lawson E. Thomas Courthouse
Questions Parents Ask Before Hiring Us
Is it legal to have the other parent followed?
Yes, in public places and without harassment, trespass, or contact. We follow from a distance and film only what anyone on the street could see. We do not record audio, enter property, or approach the children.
Will my ex know?
No. Discretion is the entire point. We do not tell anyone who our client is, and in four decades the answer to this question has not changed.
Can you follow my child?
We document the parent and the environment. We never approach, interact with, or make a child aware of an investigation.
How does a judge use this evidence?
Your attorney presents it through the investigator’s testimony. Florida judges weigh the factors in Section 61.13, including each parent’s moral fitness, the home environment, and the ability to put the child’s needs first. Documented conduct speaks to those factors directly.
What does a custody investigation cost?
Surveillance is billed hourly with a written estimate up front. Most custody cases take two to four sessions scheduled around the timesharing calendar. The first call is free.
Get Proof of What Happens When You Are Not There
Call Travis Wasser. Tell him what worries you, and he will tell you what can be documented.
Get a Free Consultation