Resources · FAQ
Straight answers on how we research people and companies, who we work with, and where our reports fit — including what they are not for.
01 General
Who we are, what we research, coverage, turnaround, delivery, and how our reports may be used.
We research people and companies so you can make clearer business decisions. That includes business and executive due diligence, vendor screening, sanctions and watchlist screening, and public-record research — with findings pulled from courts and official sources whenever we can.
Private equity firms, investors, M&A professionals, businesses, legal and compliance teams, procurement and vendor-risk teams, and lenders. If you need reliable due diligence research and public-record support before a real decision, we can help.
Yes. We support research across the United States, including county criminal searches, statewide criminal searches, and federal criminal searches where available, plus civil and other court records. Each engagement is scoped to the subject, the jurisdictions involved, and the purpose of the due diligence.
Yes. We can fold international research into an engagement when you need it. Depending on the country and scope, that may include sanctions and watchlist screening, adverse media research, business verification, public-record research, and related components.
Yes. Every engagement can be tailored to the risk, transaction, subject, or relationship you’re evaluating. We can build a focused scope or a deeper package — depending on how much information you need.
Most standard engagements finish within 48 to 72 business hours. Complex matters, international research, court delays, document retrieval, or verification work can take longer.
Through our secure client portal. When the research is done, you log in to access and download the completed report.
No. Our reports are for non-FCRA purposes only. They may not be used for employment, tenant screening, consumer credit, insurance underwriting, or any other FCRA-regulated purpose. True Court Screening is not a consumer reporting agency (CRA), and we are not a private investigator.
It depends on the scope, but usually includes the subject’s full name, known identifying details, company information when it applies, and the purpose and scope of the due diligence.
No. Databases help us spot possible records and point our researchers to the right source. Relevant findings are verified against the original source whenever it’s available before they go into your report.
02 Investors
Using due diligence research when you’re evaluating companies, founders, executives, owners, and other key parties in a deal.
It helps surface information that may not show up in financials or standard deal materials — litigation, regulatory history, sanctions exposure, adverse media, bankruptcies, liens, and other public-record concerns involving a company or its key principals.
Yes. We can research the business entity as well as founders, owners, executives, directors, investors, and other key individuals tied to the transaction.
Depending on the scope, research may identify civil or criminal litigation, bankruptcies, judgments, liens, regulatory actions, sanctions or watchlist exposure, adverse media, business affiliations, ownership concerns, and other publicly available risk indicators.
It can happen at different stages, but it’s often most useful before final investment approval, signing definitive agreements, or other significant capital commitments.
Yes. We customize based on deal size and nature, the people or entities involved, geographic exposure, known concerns, and how deep you need to go.
Yes. Enhanced due diligence can dig deeper into an individual’s background, business interests, litigation history, regulatory exposure, adverse media, sanctions and watchlist screening, social media, and other relevant public-record information.
Yes. We can add international components when it makes sense — including sanctions and watchlist screening, adverse media, business verification, and other available jurisdiction-specific research.
Yes. Our research can help identify business interests, affiliated entities, prior corporate relationships, and other connections that may matter for conflicts, reputation, or transaction risk.
03 Business
Evaluating companies, owners, executives, partners, and counterparties before you commit to a relationship.
It’s researching a company and the people connected to it to flag potential legal, financial, regulatory, reputational, ownership, or operational concerns before you make an important business decision.
Yes. We use available corporate records, court records, regulatory sources, sanctions and watchlists, adverse media, business affiliations, and other public and proprietary research resources.
Depending on the jurisdiction and available records, we can help identify owners, officers, directors, managers, affiliated entities, and other people or businesses connected to the company.
Yes. A business due diligence engagement can cover both the company and selected owners, founders, executives, directors, or other key individuals.
Depending on the scope: litigation, bankruptcies, judgments, liens, regulatory actions, sanctions exposure, adverse media, business affiliations, ownership concerns, and other publicly available risk indicators.
Yes. We research available county, state, and federal court records to identify civil litigation and other relevant legal matters involving the company or its key principals.
Yes. Scope is tailored to the type of relationship, risk level, jurisdictions involved, who you’re evaluating, and any specific concerns you want us to look into.
Where scoped, we can include commercial credit and public collections indicators when available. We don’t provide tax returns, audited financials, management accounts, bank statements, or quality-of-earnings work — that sits with financial due diligence advisors. Our business research stays in the public-record lane.
Yes. We can help identify prior company names, DBAs, related entities, and other business identities that may reveal additional litigation, regulatory, financial, or reputational history that could otherwise be missed.
04 Vendors
Onboarding and ongoing review of vendors, suppliers, contractors, and other third parties.
It’s evaluating a third party so you better understand potential legal, financial, regulatory, reputational, ownership, and sanctions-related risks before you enter into — or continue — a business relationship.
The right scope depends on the risk involved, but it may include business verification, ownership and management, litigation history, bankruptcies, judgments, liens, sanctions and watchlists, adverse media, regulatory history, and other relevant public-record information.
Yes. Vendor due diligence can include research on owners, executives, directors, managers, and other key individuals when their background matters to the risk assessment.
Yes. Research can include sanctions, watchlists, regulatory actions, enforcement history, adverse media, and other risk indicators involving the company and relevant principals.
Yes. You can use different levels of due diligence based on vendor type, access to sensitive information, financial exposure, geographic risk, criticality, or the nature of the services.
Yes. We can research during onboarding, periodically during the relationship, or when a specific event or concern creates a need for additional review.
Yes. Research can help identify changes in ownership, management, affiliated entities, or business structure that may affect the risk profile.
Yes. International components can be added based on the countries involved and available reliable sources — including sanctions and watchlist screening, adverse media, business verification, and other jurisdiction-specific research.
05 Advisors
Public-record research and research support for client matters, transactions, disputes, and risk assessments.
To better understand individuals, companies, counterparties, ownership structures, litigation history, regulatory issues, reputational concerns, and other risk factors relevant to a matter or transaction.
Depending on the matter, research may include county, state, and federal court records — including county criminal searches, statewide criminal searches, and federal criminal searches when those are in scope — plus bankruptcy filings, judgments, liens, regulatory actions, business affiliations, sanctions and watchlists, adverse media, and other relevant public records.
A docket search may show that a case exists. Deeper research can add context about the allegations, parties involved, procedural history, outcomes, and supporting court documents.
Complaints, judgments, motions, and other available filings can provide context that may not be clear from a case index alone — including the nature of the dispute, claims made, parties involved, and how the case was resolved.
It can supplement legal, financial, and transaction due diligence by identifying information that may affect strategy, risk assessment, negotiations, or decision-making.
Research may involve individuals, companies, owners, executives, counterparties, witnesses, affiliated entities, or other parties relevant to the matter and your objectives.
Many assignments can be completed using public records, proprietary research tools, and open-source information without contacting the subject. If a requested component requires direct verification or authorization, we’ll flag that before we proceed.
Targeted research is built around a specific question, allegation, relationship, jurisdiction, event, or risk concern — not a fixed search package. That lets us focus on the information most relevant to the matter.
Tell us what you’re trying to decide. We’ll help you figure out the right scope for the research.
