Introduction
Skip tracing does not usually involve "cloak and dagger" techniques. It is usually a matter of phone calls, library visits, Internet searches, and other, more mundane techniques.
Paralegal Perspectives . . .
THE CASE OF THE MARRIED NUN
The most interesting skip trace I ever performed was for a woman who called from New York. She had been married in Denver several years earlier, but had gotten a divorce after only a few months. The event was so traumatic that she left for London and joined an Anglican convent, becoming a nun. She had recently been transferred to a convent in New York state, and they were requesting her records, including divorce records.
She and her ex-husband had drafted the divorce documents themselves, and now she was calling us, basically because we were one of the first firms in the yellow pages. I checked with an attorney who agreed that we could do it for free. That afternoon I was at the courthouse on other business, and stopped in the archives to get the file. When I saw it, I was stunned. They had failed to file one of the last documents, so the divorce was not granted.
I called the woman back, not knowing her current situation, and told her she was still married. Her response: 'I can't be married. I'm a nun!' Well, the convent put the firm on retainer to handle the divorce, but first we had to find her ex. The last our client knew, he was heading to Montana to trap for furs. (No kidding!) So the attorney said I could start searching, and if necessary, go up north to locate him. I'm excited now! Montana, here I come! First, I placed a few calls, checked the phone book, all the usual places. Nothing. But where do I start looking for a fur trapper? I decided to call a place that sold furs to ask for suggestions. They asked his name, and then said, 'Oh, he's a manager here. But he's on break." OUCH! There went Montana! I did find my target, though! |
