How Much Does an Asset Search Cost? Pricing Guide

Whether you’ve won a court judgment, are considering litigation, going through a divorce, or trying to collect a debt — an asset search is one of the most powerful intelligence tools available. It tells you what someone owns, where those assets are held, and whether pursuing legal enforcement is financially worth your time and money.

But asset searches aren’t one-size-fits-all. A basic real property lookup costs very differently from a full-scale hidden asset investigation designed to expose fraudulent transfers and concealed business interests. Understanding what you actually need — and what it costs — before you place an order can save you significant money while still giving you the intelligence you need to act decisively.

This guide covers every type of asset search, what drives pricing, how professional services compare to DIY attempts, and how to match the right search to your specific situation. Results from our professional service are delivered in 24 hours or less for most asset search types.

🔍 What Is an Asset Search and What Does It Include?

An asset search is a professional investigation that identifies property, income sources, business interests, and other financially valuable holdings tied to a specific individual or entity. Unlike a standard skip trace — which focuses on locating a person — an asset search is specifically focused on mapping what that person owns and where that value is held.

Asset searches are routinely used by:

• ⚖️ Judgment creditors — to identify leviable property before filing enforcement writs
• 👩‍⚖️ Divorce attorneys — to uncover assets a spouse may be hiding before settlement
• 🏢 Business owners — to vet a potential partner, buyer, or major vendor
• 📋 Attorneys & paralegals — to assess collectability before recommending clients pursue litigation
• 🏦 Lenders & investors — to verify financial representations before funding deals
• 🏠 Landlords — to evaluate a prospective tenant’s true financial position
• 👨‍👩‍👧 Estate and probate professionals — to locate assets belonging to a deceased person’s estate
• 🔒 Debt collectors — to determine whether enforcement action will yield actual recovery

The key distinction between an asset search and an asset investigation matters for pricing: a search pulls documented records from databases and public filings; a full investigation adds deeper analytical work — tracing ownership chains, uncovering concealment strategies, and connecting the dots across multiple entities. See our detailed breakdown of asset search vs. asset investigation to understand which one your situation requires.

📋 Types of Asset Searches and Their Costs

Not all asset searches are created equal. Here is a complete breakdown of the most commonly ordered asset search types, what each one finds, and what you can realistically expect to pay for a professional service:

🏘️ Real Property / Real Estate Search

Identifies all real estate owned by an individual or entity in a given state or county. Results typically include property address, parcel number, assessed value, mortgage/lien status, and ownership vesting. This is the cornerstone of most creditor-focused asset searches because real property is one of the most valuable and least liquid assets a debtor holds.

🚗 Vehicle & DMV Asset Search

Locates motor vehicles, boats, RVs, motorcycles, and aircraft registered to an individual. Vehicles are leviable assets in most states and represent an often-overlooked enforcement target — particularly useful when real property is mortgaged beyond its equity value. See our guide to locating vehicles for levy or repossession.

💼 Employment & Income Verification

Identifies the debtor’s current employer name and address — the critical starting point for wage garnishment. Without this information, you cannot serve a writ of garnishment. This is frequently the highest-ROI single search available for judgment creditors pursuing wage garnishment. See our dedicated page on finding a debtor’s employer for wage garnishment.

🏢 Business Ownership & Interest Search

Identifies whether an individual owns, operates, or holds an interest in any registered business entity — corporations, LLCs, partnerships, DBAs. This is essential for collecting judgments against business owners, assessing whether piercing the corporate veil is viable, or investigating a spouse’s hidden business assets in a divorce.

For complex business investigations, see our complete business asset tracing guide and the dedicated UCC lien search guide.

💰 Financial Accounts & Judgments (Records-Based)

Searches for publicly recorded financial judgments, tax liens, and UCC filings against a subject. Note: we do not locate or identify private bank account details — this section covers publicly filed financial records, which are legally accessible. For information on how bank levies work as a legal collection process, consult your state’s enforcement procedures.

Checking for existing bankruptcy filings is especially important before spending on enforcement — collecting against a debtor in active bankruptcy is prohibited by the automatic stay.

💎 Asset Search Pricing Tiers

Most professional asset search providers — including our service — organize searches into logical tiers based on depth and scope. Here’s how to think about the three main pricing levels and what each one is designed for:

For most judgment creditors and divorce cases involving moderate-sized assets, the Standard comprehensive package at $250–$450 delivers the best balance of intelligence and cost. It gives you the current employer (for garnishment), real property (for liens and levies), and vehicles — the three main enforcement levers — in a single report delivered in 24 hours or less.

📈 What Factors Drive Asset Search Prices Up or Down?

Not every asset search of the same type costs the same. Here are the key variables that affect what you’ll pay — and how to keep costs in check:

🔬 DIY vs. Professional Asset Search: Full Cost Comparison

Many creditors and attorneys attempt to piece together asset information themselves using free public records databases, county assessor websites, and Google searches. Here’s a realistic, honest comparison of what that approach actually costs versus using a professional service:

The hidden cost of DIY asset searching is time and accuracy. If you spend 10 hours piecing together county records and still miss a vehicle, a business interest, or an out-of-state property, you’ve invested significant time and potentially pursued the wrong enforcement strategy. A professional search delivers a complete, cross-referenced picture in 24 hours or less at a fraction of what your hourly time is worth. See: why free people search sites fail and professional vs. DIY skip tracing.

🎯 Asset Search Costs by Use Case

The “right” asset search isn’t just about depth — it’s about matching the investigation to your specific legal and enforcement goal. Here’s what to order for the most common scenarios:

⚖️ Judgment Collection

Your primary goals are wage garnishment (requires current employer), real property levy or lien, and vehicle levy. The most efficient search for most judgment creditors is a combined employer + property + vehicle package — typically $250–$370. If the debtor is believed to own businesses or hold assets in entities, add a business ownership search. See the full judgment collection strategy playbook and our page on what assets can be seized to satisfy a judgment.

👩‍⚖️ Divorce / Marital Asset Discovery

Divorce cases involving suspected hidden assets demand broader investigation. A spouse may hold property in an LLC, operate undisclosed businesses, or have transferred assets to family members. For these cases, a full investigation-level search ($350–$1,500+) is appropriate. Key searches include: property (statewide), vehicles, business interests, UCC filings, and potentially cryptocurrency asset analysis. For more, see the complete hidden assets in divorce investigation guide and our page on asset searches before filing for divorce.

📋 Pre-Litigation Assessment

Before recommending a client spend $5,000–$25,000 pursuing litigation, a smart attorney or paralegal first verifies that the defendant actually has collectible assets. A targeted pre-litigation asset search ($150–$350) answers the fundamental question: is this defendant worth suing? See also: how to investigate a business before suing.

🏦 Lender & Investor Due Diligence

Verifying that a borrower or investment partner’s financial representations are accurate requires a property search, business interest check, and judgment/lien review. A combined package at $250–$450 covers the key risk verification areas. For deeper vendor and contractor due diligence, additional background investigation may be warranted.

👪 Child Support & Alimony Enforcement

Locating assets and income sources of a non-paying ex-spouse or parent uses the same search tools as judgment enforcement. Employer verification (for wage garnishment/assignment), property (for lien), and vehicle searches are the core package. See our guides on child support enforcement, collecting child support arrears, and alimony enforcement and locating ex-spouse assets.

🏠 Landlord / Tenant Judgment Collection

After winning an eviction judgment for unpaid rent or property damage, landlords need to locate a former tenant’s new employer and address to begin collection. A combined address + employer search ($170–$370) is the standard starting point. See the complete landlord guide to tenants who skip out.

🔐 Hidden Asset Investigation Costs

When a debtor or opposing party is suspected of deliberately concealing or transferring assets to avoid collection, a standard asset search isn’t enough. A true hidden asset investigation involves significantly more analytical work — and carries higher costs to match.

Common signs that a hidden asset investigation is needed include:

• 🚩 Debtor’s apparent lifestyle doesn’t match their claimed income
• 🚩 Recent transfers of property to family members or related entities
• 🚩 Newly formed LLCs with no apparent business purpose
• 🚩 Spouse or business partner claiming ownership of assets the debtor previously used
• 🚩 Cryptocurrency holdings suspected but unverified
• 🚩 Offshore accounts or international real estate suspected

For a full rundown of warning signs, see our dedicated page on signs a debtor is hiding assets.

💵 What Does a Hidden Asset Investigation Cost?

For most domestic hidden asset cases, the enhanced search ($350–$700) or full investigation ($700–$1,500) covers the vast majority of concealment strategies. Legal tools like subpoenas for asset discovery, debtor’s examinations, and restraining notices / asset freezes may be deployed alongside the investigation to prevent further concealment or dissipation of assets while the case proceeds.

📊 Is an Asset Search Worth the Cost? ROI Analysis

The question isn’t really “how much does an asset search cost” — it’s “what’s the return on investment?” Here’s how to think through whether a search is financially justified based on your situation:

In every scenario, the cost of the asset search is small relative to the value of the decision it enables. Even the last row — discovering a debtor has nothing collectible right now — delivers enormous value by preventing you from wasting money on enforcement that would yield nothing. Understanding the true cost of not collecting a judgment helps frame why this upfront intelligence investment is always justified.

🚀 How to Order an Asset Search

Getting started with a professional asset search is straightforward. Here’s the sequence that produces the best results:

1. 1
   🎯 Define Your Goal First
   Are you trying to garnish wages? Place a lien? Assess collectability before suing? Investigate a spouse’s hidden assets? Your goal determines which searches you need. Don’t over-order — but make sure you’re getting the data points your enforcement strategy actually requires. Review what assets can be seized to satisfy a judgment to help identify what to look for.
2. 2
   📋 Gather Your Subject’s Identifying Information
   The more identifying information you provide, the more accurate and complete the results. At minimum: full legal name, last known address, date of birth (if available), and state(s) of interest. Social Security Number dramatically improves accuracy when available and legally permissible to provide. See our page on how to verify a skip tracing report for quality benchmarks.
3. 3
   🔍 Select the Right Search Package
   For most judgment collection scenarios, a comprehensive package covering employer + property + vehicles is the right starting point. For suspected concealment, step up to a full investigation. For a simple pre-litigation check, a targeted property + lien search may be enough.
4. 4
   📥 Receive Your Report in 24 Hours or Less
   Our professional reports are delivered in 24 hours or less for standard asset searches. Rush service is available for time-sensitive matters. Reports are formatted for direct use in legal proceedings and enforcement filings.
5. 5
   ⚡ Act on Results Immediately
   Asset positions change — debtors sell property, change jobs, and transfer assets quickly once they know collection is being pursued. Act on your results as soon as you receive them. See the post-judgment enforcement timeline for the recommended sequence of enforcement actions following an asset search.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions