Divorce & Family Law

Forensic phone extraction for divorce and custody cases

Forensic phone extraction for a divorce or custody case, from a phone you own, documented so your attorney can review what was on it.

Call (239) 241-8095

What a forensic extraction of your phone records

A screenshot of a text often is not enough, because the other side can challenge where it came from, whether it was edited, and whether the timestamps are real.

A forensic extraction answers those challenges: a write-blocked image of the device, hash values that show the copy matches the phone, original timestamps and the data source of each item, and an examiner who can explain it on the record.

We examine only a device you own. Before we start, you sign a form stating that you own it.

We use Apple-native and platform-native workflows and, when a matter calls for it, industry-standard extraction tooling like Cellebrite UFED and Magnet AXIOM through our licensed partner network, and deliver an exhibit-ready report rather than a screenshot dump.

Some service tracks are offered at a fixed fee; complex investigations are billed hourly with a clear scope, milestone updates, and a cap agreed up front.

Quinn (Founder and CEO) oversees every engagement and reviews every case before findings leave the practice; the practitioner team executes the technical work under her methodology.

A direct line to Quinn, the founder, not a sales pipeline.
Worked in-house by the examiner who scoped it.
Explainable findings you can verify, with the methodology shown.

Working with a divorce phone forensic expert

A divorce phone forensic expert is not an app that promises to read someone else’s messages.

The work is narrower and more defensible: a write-blocked image of a phone you own, hash values that show the copy has not changed, and extraction of the artifacts that actually decide a custody or dissolution matter, whether that is deleted SMS and iMessage, photos and their embedded metadata, app-cache fragments from WhatsApp, Signal, and Snapchat, or location history, each with its original source and timestamp preserved.

For consultant-led mobile phone extraction, that documented record is what your attorney points to if the other side challenges it. At the consultation we tell you which artifacts are realistically extractable from your specific device and OS version before any work is scoped.

What this means for you

Written scope before any work. You see a written scope covering deliverables, timeline, and price, and you approve it before we begin. You are never billed for work you did not authorize.
We commit to findings, not outcomes. We tell you up front what the evidence can and cannot establish. Recovery, attribution, and prosecution are decided by banks, platforms, insurers, and courts. We produce the record they act on, and we put that distinction in writing.
Every case is investigated, not just scanned. A credentialed examiner reviews every case before findings leave the practice. You get a documented investigation with the hashes, method and tool versions recorded, not a single automated scan and a one-line answer.
We will tell you if you do not need us. If a free or simpler step would resolve your situation, whether a police report, an IC3 filing, or a platform's own recovery flow, we point you there first.

How an engagement begins

Confidential consultation. NDA-protected. 30-60 minutes. Direct conversation, no sales process.
Scoped engagement. Written proposal with defined deliverables and pricing, a fixed fee where it applies and hourly with milestone caps for open-ended investigations.
Investigation and findings. Documented method. Written report you can act on.

Not sure a full forensic engagement is necessary yet? Start with our guide to deleted text messages. It covers free do-it-yourself options and when a forensic examination is the right call.

Why this work matters

The fight over a phone is usually a fight over whether its contents can be trusted, so the extraction has to be as defensible as what it turns up.

Quinn holds 9 active certifications across GIAC, a methodology trusted by Fortune 50 enterprises, defense contractors, and the attorneys who refer to us. It is part of our broader forensic services for individuals and families; see also how deleted text messages get admitted in court.

Fixed fee by number of devices. You see your exact price before you sign.

Call (239) 241-8095

iPhone & Android Forensics · How Acquisition Actually Works

Why iPhone forensics is hard, and what we ship to do it.

iPhone forensic acquisition is the most technically demanding work in consumer DFIR. Apple's Secure Enclave, hardware-backed encryption keys, signed-system volume, and aggressive iOS hardening between every minor release mean there is no "run a tool from the cloud and read the phone" option. Each iOS version requires updated forensic methods, and most of those methods only work with a specific physical-cable connection to a licensed acquisition platform such as Cellebrite UFED, Magnet AXIOM, MSAB XRY, the same tools used by federal law enforcement and major IR firms. When a matter calls for it, we engage these platforms through our licensed partner network.

Android is a different problem set with the same conclusion. Verified Boot, full-disk encryption, and OEM-specific lock states (Samsung Knox, Google's Titan M2, Xiaomi's mi-account lock) all gate what can be acquired and how. Every Android make and model is its own acquisition path.

Remote forensics works, but the device has to be in the lab.

We work with clients across the United States, and every acquisition happens in the lab, using the acquisition workflow for that device and OS version. The agreement you sign explains how to hand over or ship your device.

Most examinations are finished one to two weeks after you sign, provided your devices reach us promptly. If you need it sooner, ask us to rush it. A screen-share, an email of screenshots, or a remote session with the user holding the phone is not a forensic acquisition. It does not preserve evidence, it does not produce a forensic report, and we will not represent it as such.

If the device is in active use by a hostile actor (an abuser, an active attacker), we coordinate timing of the hand-off with you to protect the integrity of the evidence and your physical safety. Tell us this when you first get in touch.

How We Work

A confidential, structured engagement.

Confidential Consultation

A direct conversation with Quinn, the founder and CEO who oversees every engagement. NDA-protected. No sales process.

Signed Engagement

The price is fixed by the number of devices. Before any work starts, you sign the agreement and the chain-of-custody form.

Examination and Report

A named examiner works the devices and accounts you sent and writes a report with the hash values, the method, the tools and their versions, and the exhibits.

Frequently asked about forensic phone extraction

What does it cost, and can I pay over time?

A device examination is a fixed price set by the number of devices: one, two to three, or four to five. Each price includes a set number of examiner hours. You can start with one device, and you can ask about paying over time. You see your exact price before you sign.

Where are you, and do I have to send my phone?

We are based in Naples, Florida, and examine devices in Naples and in California. Before any work starts you sign one page: the agreement and the chain-of-custody form. The agreement you sign explains how to hand over or ship your device.

What if the examination finds nothing?

We do not promise a result. You get a written report on completion covering each device and each account you sent, whatever it shows.

Can you show who did it?

An examination can show what happened on a device or account, and when. It often cannot show who was behind it, and we will not tell you it can.

Will police, a court or my lawyer take it seriously?

We cannot promise how police, a court or a lawyer will treat the report. We can tell you what it contains: the hash values, the method, the tools and their versions, and the exhibits.

What happens next, and how long does it take?

You sign the engagement letter, and your card is charged when you sign. Most examinations are finished one to two weeks after you sign, provided your devices reach us promptly. If you need it sooner, ask us to rush it.

Is this a person or an AI?

This line is answered by the SleuthX team, and by the SleuthX assistant, an AI, when the team cannot pick up. A named examiner examines your device and signs the report.

Whose device can you examine?

We examine only a device you own. Before we start, you sign a form stating that you own it. If that statement is false, the evidence can become unusable in court.

What phones can you forensically extract?

iPhones across iOS 13 through current, Android phones across Android 10 through current, and most major manufacturer variants (Samsung, Google Pixel, OnePlus, Huawei). Extraction depth depends on the device, OS version, and lock state. Modern phones with active locks limit certain methods, but artifacts in iCloud / Google account exports, app caches, and system logs are usually still available. We use Apple-native and platform-native workflows, and when a matter calls for it, industry-standard extraction tooling like Cellebrite UFED and Magnet AXIOM through our licensed partner network. We tell you in the consultation what is realistically extractable for your specific phone before you commit.