Civil Court Background Checks

What Information Will You See on a Civil Background Check?

You can do civil background checks on federal, state, or local levels. Cases are typically divided between lower courts and upper courts based on the value of the claim.

If a claim is under $5,000, it is typically handled by lower courts. If the claim is over $5,000, it will be handled by upper courts. You can uncover both of these types of claims with a civil background check.

A civil background check will uncover claims that have to do with eviction notices, car accidents, discrimination, personal injury, customer rights, product liability, and nonpayment for goods. Additionally, you can see child support issues, divorce, child support issues, estate disputes, and other family law matters on a civil background check.

Federal civil records will disclose civil rights issues, tax disputes, issues involving interstate commerce, government regulations, and financial institutions. Bankruptcies filed by candidates will also show up on a civil background check since bankruptcy court is a civil court. Whether it is at the local or federal level, civil background checks will show if an individual was a plaintiff or a defendant in a civil case.

What are the Benefits of Civil Court Background Checks for a Business?

Civil background checks must comply with the Fair Credit Report Act (FCRA). This is an aspect of federal law that ensures that customer's information is treated securely, that information is accurate, and that information is provided and used fairly. Some business owners think that the FCRA solely applies to credit reports. However, if your company is doing background screening using a third-party vendor, FCRA guidelines must be adhered to.

This includes letting the candidate know that you are going to do a background check on them. It would help if you let them know how the results might impact hiring or retention decisions. The candidate must give written consent. The candidate must have the opportunity to review the report and contest possible errors.

Civil background checks are a vital part of the hiring process. They provide a different type of insight into your potential employees. The information garnered could be used to gain insight into your employees' behaviors, values, and judgments. This type of information is essential if you are looking to hire someone for a management position or a financial responsibility.

For example, if a civil background check reveals that a candidate has hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax liens, they may not be the person you want to have in charge of your business account. Additionally, if you find that a candidate was sued by a previous employer and accused of stealing company secrets, you likely would not want to hire that individual, and you would not include them as part of your executive team.

You should do a civil background check before contracting a potential hire. However, over the course of an employee’s life, their circumstances might change. Although you strive to know what is going on with your employees, they may hide information that could negatively impact their job performances or your organization’s reputation. Depending on your organization's needs, you may wish to run civil background checks multiple times throughout the work life of an employee.