The Importance of Paperwork on a Paranormal Investigation

Why Groups/teams Need to Cover Their Own Backside

“This will only take a moment of our time. We need to have these forms filled out before we can proceed. Here, let me explain what each one is…” 

Those sentences can save your group from many possible future hassles; from lawsuits to being arrested, none of which are particularly pleasant. The funny thing is that not all groups feel they need to have the paperwork, and perhaps they have been lucky thus far, but eventually they will encounter a client who changes his or her mind after the adrenaline rush of the investigation wears off. Seasoned groups can tell you just how important the paperwork is and share some horror stories of how, without the paperwork, they might have lost not only the case but their groups respect and good name as well. 

One reason that groups do not have paperwork is that they think it will make for an uncomfortable position with their clients. Another reason a group might avoid all of the paperwork would be because they aren’t sure how to go about making up the proper forms. Yet another reason that I have encountered is because a group did not feel the paperwork would hold any significance and would be a waste of time. 

For each concern of why they don’t have paperwork there are at least two reasons why they should. If you think that an uncomfortable position could arise asking for your clients to sign some papers then you might want to practice with a member of your group before hand. Make sure the member you practice with is as difficult as possible as you may need to have an arsenal of answers at the ready for why the paperwork needs to be signed. Asking for a client to sign some paperwork that is presented to them in a professional manner will also help your clients see that your group is indeed serious. That is not mentioning the fact that the privacy guarantee is included (or should be) and this tends to put a lot of clients in the frame of mind to sign.