Cell Phones and Alimony

Cell Tower Location Data is widely used by law enforcement in criminal cases, but to date, has been severely under-used in civil court discovery processes, where family law cases could greatly benefit from the data it provides.  Specifically, in the area of Family Law, Cell Tower Location Data can be leveraged to prove or refute critical elements of alimony disputes involving issues of cohabitation.  The most challenging and vexing aspect of proving cohabitation often lies with the “catch me if you can” game played by the party receiving alimony, who desperately and often deceptively seeks to protect the income source by denying that a cohabiting relationship exists.  The use of Cell Tower Location Data significantly undermines this strategy by uncovering the relative location of the phone itself to the identifiable cell towers being “pinged,” all without the need to disclose private information such as who is being called or the context of the conversations or text messages.  This objective data may also be used by the person defending the allegations of cohabitation by using the information contained within the data to unequivocally demonstrate the opposing position.  This introductory how-to guide is deigned to educate consumers regarding the utility of this information, and provides relatable examples of how to leverage the Cell Tower Location Data to support their particular case.  The book discusses numerous benefits to using this technology in the civil arena, including significantly reducing financial costs often associated with challenging the obligation to pay or defending the right to receive alimony by offsetting the need to hire a private investigator 365/24/7 to conduct surveillance on a residence and/or person(s).