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OnTrial
FAQ

Frequently asked questions.

The questions buyers ask most often — about what OnTrial does, who we work with, how engagements run, and the compliance posture behind every case.

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About OnTrial

What is OnTrial?
OnTrial is a licensed investigations and intelligence firm. Our investigators and analysts — every one a veteran of the U.S. military or law enforcement — use proprietary data access and technology to deliver background investigations, asset searches and cryptocurrency tracing, due diligence, geolocation intelligence, social media intelligence, and surveillance for attorneys, capital allocators, compliance teams, private investigators, protective teams, and private clients. Every case is intelligence-led, analyst-verified, and delivered with documented chain of custody.
Is OnTrial a software company?
No. OnTrial is a licensed investigations and intelligence firm (Texas DPS Private Investigations Company license #C31261501). We build proprietary technology and maintain proprietary data access, but we don't sell or license software — our investigators and analysts use it to deliver faster, better intelligence reports to our clients. Pricing is per report or per project, with no subscription.
What is the OnTrial client portal?
A secure portal included with every engagement. Clients use it to request investigations, track case status, receive and download reports, and communicate directly with their case team. It is not a software product we sell — it's how our clients work with us.
Who is OnTrial built for?
Litigation firms, insurance defense firms, private credit funds, venture capital and private equity, family offices, compliance and GRC teams, private investigators, and executive-protection / corporate-security teams, plus law-enforcement agencies and prosecutors' offices for passive OSINT and investigative casework. Any professional buyer who needs intelligence delivered at a defensible standard on an operational timeline.
Is OnTrial available to plaintiff-side firms?
Yes. OnTrial works with both plaintiff and defense counsel. Conflict-avoidance is governed by a first-right-of-retention standard: we do not take engagements that would compromise our independence on a matter we are already working.
Is OnTrial a database vendor or a P.I. firm?
OnTrial is a licensed P.I. firm, not a database vendor. It owns the secure client portal (case management, secure collaboration, audit trail), the investigative methodology (multi-source intelligence, analyst verification, chain of custody), and the licensed operator network (Licensed and insured in Texas). Buyers get one accountable firm instead of stitching together a database subscription, a P.I. shop, and a workflow tool.
How is OnTrial different from a traditional P.I. shop?
OnTrial runs intelligence-led, analyst-verified investigations against a documented operating discipline — defined sourcing, multi-pipeline collection, chain of custody, and a veteran or LEO case manager accountable from intake to delivery. Reports are fixed cost, with no subscription or monthly fees; custom engagements are scoped at intake. Turnaround is documented; rush is available on most reports. Reports are designed to withstand evidentiary scrutiny.
How is OnTrial different from a database vendor?
Database vendors sell access to records. OnTrial pairs premium non-public data (CLOSINT-first methodology) with OSINT, analyst verification, and lead pursuit. You receive a verified report, not a raw record dump — and every finding has a documented source.

Compliance & AI Governance

Is OnTrial FCRA compliant?
Yes. Every OnTrial report is delivered under the Fair Credit Reporting Act where applicable. Permissible-purpose verification, dispute handling, and consumer-report procedures are built into our processes.
Is OnTrial GLBA compliant?
Yes. OnTrial operates under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act for the handling of financial information, including the safeguarding rule and the permissible-purpose framework that governs the use of non-public personal financial data.
What is OnTrial's SOC 2 status?
OnTrial is SOC 2 aligned. Its controls are designed around the SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria for security, availability, and confidentiality across the stack.
Is OnTrial CCPA / SB 1454 compliant?
Yes. California Consumer Privacy Act and California SB 1454 investigator-records retention requirements are built into our data lifecycle.
Does OnTrial sell, share, or rent client data?
No. Client matter information is processed in isolated infrastructure and is not sold, shared, or rented to any third party.
Does OnTrial use client data to train AI models?
No. Client data is never used to train or fine-tune AI systems — internal or third-party. This is a non-negotiable architectural commitment, not a policy preference.
How does OnTrial handle AI use in outside counsel guidelines (OCG)?
OnTrial is built to satisfy the AI-use, data-handling, and vendor-management provisions that increasingly appear in OCG and engagement letters. AI accelerates the investigative pipeline; a veteran or LEO case manager reviews and an analyst verifies every finding before delivery. AI does not sign off on output. Every step is logged and auditable.
What's OnTrial's data retention posture?
Zero data retention on AI processing: inputs sent to AI processing are ephemeral and never stored. Operational processing logs auto-delete within 24 hours, and finished case files are kept in secure, access-controlled storage. Long-term retention follows CCPA and SB 1454 requirements for investigator records, not for content reuse.
Are OnTrial's reports defensible in litigation?
Yes. Reports are produced with documented chain of custody, analyst verification of every finding, source identification, and timestamped collection where applicable. Reports are designed to support deposition, motion practice, and trial use.

For litigation firms

Can OnTrial support pre-suit, deposition, and trial workups?
Yes. OnTrial supports the full litigation arc — pre-suit diligence on opposing parties, plaintiff and witness workups, juror research, deposition prep, scene documentation, and post-judgment asset enforcement. Trial 360 is a fixed-cost package designed for plaintiff or defendant workups and key-witness vetting in advance of trial. Juror research before jury selection is handled as a separate voir dire special project.
Does OnTrial support post-judgment asset enforcement?
Yes. Asset Searches identify and document real estate, vehicles, financial accounts, business interests, judgments, liens, and cryptocurrency accounts tied to a named subject. Global CryptoScan adds an account scan for potential cryptocurrency-exchange and payment-app accounts linked to the subject's known identifiers, and custom cryptocurrency tracing follows funds on-chain where needed. Reports are produced with documented chain of custody for use in collections and post-judgment enforcement.
Does OnTrial handle juror research?
Yes. Juror research is handled as a Voir Dire special project — lawful public-record and open-source research on the venire panel before jury selection, with no juror contact. See juror research. Rush turnaround is available for time-sensitive voir dire engagements.
What's the turnaround on a Background Plus or Background 360?
Flash Background returns in 1–2 business days. Background Plus returns in 3–4 business days standard, 1–2 business days on rush. Background 360 returns in 4–5 business days standard, 3–4 business days on rush. Flash Background is already the fastest tier, so it has no rush option.

For insurance defense firms

Does OnTrial handle AOE / COE investigation for workers compensation matters?
Yes. Arising-out-of-employment / course-of-employment investigation is a core OnTrial field operation. Engagements pair intelligence-led planning with on-the-ground operators to document the activity, environment, and witnesses relevant to compensability.
Does OnTrial handle sub-rosa activity-check surveillance?
Yes. Licensed surveillance operators conduct sub-rosa activity checks on claimants in workers comp, long-term disability, premises liability, auto, and professional liability matters. Documentation is evidentiary-grade and prepared to support EUO, motion practice, and trial.
Can OnTrial pull and preserve a claimant's social media?
Yes. DeepMedia Social Media Search covers 700+ platforms across the clear and dark web, including hidden accounts and aliases, with archive capture and timestamps for evidentiary use in fraud-claim defense.
Can OnTrial support EUO preparation?
Yes. Pre-EUO subject workups — background, social, geolocation, and field corroboration as warranted — are routinely delivered for insurance-defense matters.

For private credit, VC, and PE

Can OnTrial complete pre-investment due diligence in 48 hours?
Typically, yes. Level 1 — Comprehensive Screening averages a 48-hour turnaround on one company plus up to three principals. The clock runs from confirmed receipt of the subject names, matter details, and the subject's signed authorization. For custom Level 2 — Enhanced Business Intelligence engagements, the timeline is agreed at scoping.
What's included in Level 1 vs Level 2 due diligence?
Level 1 — Comprehensive Screening covers one company plus up to three principals (additional principals can be added): identity, criminal, civil, watchlist, regulatory, and adverse-media screening with analyst verification. It requires the subject's signed authorization and averages a 48-hour turnaround. Level 2 — Enhanced Business Intelligence is a custom-scope engagement, quoted individually: discreet source inquiries, open-source digital analysis, beneficial-ownership and OFAC 50 Percent Rule analysis, ground-truth verification, and an intelligence briefing with dossier. The timeline is agreed at scoping. Both carry the same analyst-verification and chain-of-custody standard.
Does OnTrial handle cross-border principals and global asset exposure?
Yes. OnTrial supports cross-border due diligence on foreign principals with regulatory and watchlist screening across jurisdictions, beneficial-ownership mapping, and global asset and reputational exposure. Global CryptoScan adds an account scan for potential cryptocurrency-exchange and payment-app accounts linked to a principal's known identifiers.
Can OnTrial support AML / KYC enhanced due diligence?
Yes. OnTrial Due Diligence is structured around enhanced-due-diligence requirements for AML / KYC, including watchlist and adverse-media screening, beneficial-ownership mapping, source-of-wealth signals, and politically-exposed-person identification. Defensible for regulator and audit review.

Terminology & methodology

What is Pattern of Life analysis?
Pattern of Life analysis is device-level geolocation intelligence that maps a subject's movement, dwell-time, and location history over time. Used to document lifestyle inconsistency with reported income or disability, establish routine presence at a location, or corroborate — or contradict — a subject's stated activity. See Geolocation · Pattern of Life.
What is beneficial ownership mapping?
Beneficial ownership mapping identifies the natural persons who ultimately own or control an entity — through layered corporate structures, nominee directors, trusts, and offshore vehicles. It is the core methodology in FCPA diligence, AML/KYC enhanced due diligence, and fraud-recovery asset tracing: finding the humans behind the legal structure.
What is shell company unwinding?
Shell company unwinding traces assets held through nominee entities back to the natural person who owns or controls them. Used in fraud recovery, bankruptcy trustee work, and anti-corruption diligence — identifying the real owner when the legal structure is designed to obscure it.
What is an Examination Under Oath (EUO)?
An EUO is a formal sworn examination of a claimant or other party conducted by an insurer — a threshold step in the investigation of disputed insurance claims. OnTrial supports EUO preparation with subject background workups, social media preservation, prior-claim history, and surveillance documentation.
What is an AOE/COE investigation?
AOE/COE — arising-out-of-employment / course-of-employment — investigation documents whether an injury occurred within the scope of employment, the threshold question for workers compensation compensability. OnTrial conducts AOE/COE investigations using intelligence-led planning, licensed on-the-ground operators, and evidentiary-grade field documentation.
What is juror vetting?
Juror vetting is pre-voir-dire research on prospective jurors — background, civil and criminal history, social media, prior litigation participation, and behavioral signals. Rush turnaround is available for time-sensitive voir dire engagements. OnTrial handles it as a Voir Dire special project — see juror research — drawing on Background research and DeepMedia social media review.
What is a Rule 2004 examination in bankruptcy?
A Rule 2004 examination is a sworn examination of a debtor, insider, or third party authorized by the bankruptcy court — used by trustees and recovery counsel to discover assets, investigate financial history, and develop fraudulent-transfer adversary proceedings. OnTrial supports 2004 preparation with debtor background workups, undisclosed-asset identification, and transfer-trail documentation.
What is CLOSINT?
CLOSINT — closed-source intelligence — refers to proprietary, non-public records accessed through licensed data agreements. OnTrial's methodology is CLOSINT-first: premium non-public records are the starting point, then layered with OSINT and analyst pursuit. This produces findings a raw public-records search or a database subscription will miss.
What does 'analyst-verified' mean at OnTrial?
Every finding in an OnTrial report is reviewed by a human analyst before delivery. AI accelerates collection and processing; a veteran or LEO case manager and an analyst confirm, contextualize, and source every finding before it appears in a report. No raw model output or unverified record is shipped.
What is chain of custody in a private investigation?
Chain of custody documents the origin, handling, and condition of every finding — from collection through delivery. OnTrial maintains chain-of-custody records on every case: timestamped collection, analyst verification, and sourced reporting. This makes findings defensible for deposition, expert testimony, and trial.

For fraud examiners, bankruptcy trustees & corporate counsel

Does OnTrial support Chapter 7 and Chapter 11 trustee work?
Yes. OnTrial supports trustees and recovery counsel with undisclosed-asset identification, fraudulent-transfer investigation, cryptocurrency tracing, insider and affiliate workups, and 2004 examination preparation. Global CryptoScan identifies potential cryptocurrency-exchange and payment-app accounts linked to the debtor's identifiers, and custom cryptocurrency tracing follows funds on-chain — crypto is the asset class most often missed in bankruptcy schedules.
Can OnTrial support a CFE-led fraud recovery investigation?
Yes. OnTrial supports Certified Fraud Examiners, forensic accountants, and fraud-recovery counsel with asset tracing, shell-company unwinding, lifestyle documentation, and expert-witness-ready report preparation. Findings are sourced, timestamped, and chain-of-custody documented.
Can OnTrial support internal investigations for in-house counsel?
Yes. Engagements run at the direction of counsel can be framed as work product. OnTrial supports employee-misconduct, IP-leak, and whistleblower-complaint investigations with background workups, social media preservation, and field corroboration. Chain-of-custody documentation is maintained from intake through delivery.
Can OnTrial support FCPA / anti-corruption third-party diligence?
Yes. Level 2 — Enhanced Business Intelligence is a custom-scope engagement, quoted individually: discreet source inquiries, open-source digital analysis, beneficial-ownership and OFAC 50 Percent Rule analysis, ground-truth verification, and an intelligence briefing with dossier. The timeline is agreed at scoping. It is built to satisfy FCPA and UK Bribery Act third-party diligence requirements and is defensible for regulator and audit review.
Does OnTrial trace cryptocurrency for fraud and bankruptcy recovery?
Yes. Cryptocurrency tracing is a custom-scope engagement on retainer: on-chain flows, wallet attribution, sanctions exposure, and subpoena targeting. A Global CryptoScan account scan — potential cryptocurrency-exchange and payment-app accounts linked to a named subject's known identifiers — is often the starting point. Used in fraud recovery, Ponzi-victim recovery, post-judgment enforcement, and bankruptcy estate recovery.

Texas private investigations

Where is OnTrial licensed?
In Texas: OnTrial, LLC holds Texas Department of Public Safety Private Investigations Company License #C31261501. See licensed private investigator in Texas for how to verify it.
Which Texas cities does OnTrial work in?
All of Texas, with dedicated pages for Houston, Dallas–Fort Worth, Austin, and San Antonio. See Texas private investigations.
How does an engagement with a Texas investigator start?
An engagement starts with a scoping conversation or an order through the secure client portal. Attorneys, insurers, investors, and private clients can request a confidential consultation or create a client account and order directly. The scope and a fixed cost are confirmed up front — no subscription, no monthly fees — and findings are delivered through the secure client portal.

Family law (for attorneys)

Does OnTrial work family law matters?
Yes — at the direction of counsel. OnTrial's family law investigations are attorney-directed: we are retained by or through the family law attorney, who sets the scope and decides how findings are used. Typical work supports property division, conservatorship, and spousal-support issues.
Can OnTrial trace assets in a Texas divorce?
Yes. At counsel's direction, OnTrial identifies real property, vehicles, business interests, financial accounts, liens, judgments, and transfers tied to a party, to support counsel's characterization of community vs. separate property. A Global CryptoScan account scan identifies potential cryptocurrency-exchange and payment-app accounts; on-chain cryptocurrency tracing is a custom engagement on retainer.
Can OnTrial document conduct relevant to conservatorship?
Yes. When counsel identifies conduct relevant to conservatorship or possession and access, licensed operators document it through lawful surveillance with timestamped video, and social media intelligence across 700+ platforms preserves posts and accounts with archive capture.
How is evidence handled for family court?
Every finding is analyst-verified, source-cited, and delivered with documented chain of custody, with evidence hashed using SHA-256. That gives counsel a record of where each finding came from and that it has not changed since collection — built for discovery, depositions, hearings, and trial.

Private clients & family offices

How does OnTrial keep a private client's matter confidential?
Discretion is built into how every engagement runs. Matters are handled on a need-to-know basis, client materials are encrypted in transit and at rest, client data is never used to train AI, and inputs to AI processing are never stored. Leadership and operators are not named publicly, and the firm is 100% veteran & law-enforcement operated.
What does OnTrial investigate for family offices?
OnTrial investigates the people and entities a family office is about to trust with capital, and the threats directed at the family. That covers direct-deal diligence on targets, counterparties, and co-investors; lending diligence on borrowers and guarantors; executive background investigations on principals; asset searches; and online harassment and threat attribution. See family office investigations.
How does a private-client engagement start?
Most private-client engagements start with a confidential consultation. Request one through the contact form, or create a client account and order through the secure client portal. Scope and a fixed cost are agreed up front, and findings are delivered through the portal. Executive protection is delivered by Ravus, OnTrial's specialized protective services group.

Business litigation

What does a pre-suit investigation include?
A pre-suit investigation develops the facts before a case is filed: who the parties really are, what they own, which entities and related parties sit behind them, and who the witnesses are. OnTrial's business litigation investigations are retained through counsel and delivered as analyst-verified, source-cited findings with documented chain of custody.
Can OnTrial locate witnesses in a commercial dispute?
Yes. OnTrial locates former employees, counterparties, and other hard-to-find witnesses through skip tracing and open-source research, vets them through background and social media work, and sends licensed operators into the field for canvassing when a matter calls for it.
Can OnTrial map the entities and assets behind a business defendant?
Yes. OnTrial maps the entities, officers, and related parties around a business defendant — beneficial ownership, affiliated companies, and shell structures — and identifies real property, vehicles, business interests, liens, and judgments. Transfers to insiders and related entities are documented for counsel to evaluate, including as potential fraudulent transfers. See asset searches.
Does OnTrial support judgment enforcement?
Yes. Post-judgment asset searches identify what a judgment debtor owns and where, to support counsel's judgment enforcement and turnover efforts. A Global CryptoScan account scan flags potential cryptocurrency-exchange and payment-app accounts, and on-chain cryptocurrency tracing is available as a custom engagement on retainer.
Does OnTrial perform digital forensics?
Not device forensics. OnTrial does not image devices or perform forensic data extraction. Business litigation work at OnTrial is open-source intelligence, asset and entity research, witness work, and field investigation. When a matter needs device forensics, counsel retains a forensic examiner for that piece.

Operations & engagement

Who actually runs OnTrial cases?
Every internal role at OnTrial is held by a veteran of the U.S. military, federal law enforcement, or state / municipal law enforcement — by mandate. Each internal-role employee holds or has held a government security clearance and agrees to ongoing security screening. Field operators are licensed and insured.
Is OnTrial licensed?
Yes. OnTrial, LLC is licensed by the Texas Department of Public Safety as a private investigations company (license #C31261501). Field operators are licensed and insured to the standards of each jurisdiction where they operate.
Does OnTrial work outside the United States?
Yes. OnTrial has global reach for cross-border matters, foreign principals, and international asset, reputational, and cryptocurrency exposure. The same operating discipline applies regardless of geography.
How fast can a rush engagement be delivered?
Rush is available on most reports — Background Plus, Background 360, DeepMedia, Trial 360, Complete (US) Asset Search, (US) Bank Search, Global CryptoScan, and Pattern of Life. The Flash tiers are already the fastest option, so they have no rush. Level 1 due diligence has a 48-hour average turnaround. Field operations and custom engagements are scheduled at intake based on the matter.
What does pricing look like?
Pay per report or per project. No subscription, no monthly fees, no onboarding fees, no contracts. The number is quoted up front; net terms are available for select clients. All five suites — Legal, Capital, Compliance, Investigator, Private Client — share the same pricing model.
Are sample reports available?
Yes. Sample reports are available on request. Reach out via the contact form and a member of the team will follow up within one business day.