Phones and accounts in family law,
examined by one expert both sides can rely on.
Separated parties often dispute who accessed what: a phone, an email account, a shared cloud drive, a home camera. Instructed by a solicitor or appointed by the court, we examine the device or account, record what happened and when, and report it in a form the court can use. We have acted as single expert and as a party’s expert in these matters since 2021.
Questions we answer
What the examination shows
Each answer comes with the evidence behind it, so it can be tested.
Who accessed the account, and from where
Sign-in records, device registrations and recovery settings on email, Apple, Google and social accounts show which devices were connected and when access changed.
What was on the phone and when it was sent
Messages, call records, photographs and location data extracted with forensic tools, with each item dated and its source shown.
Whether messages are genuine
A screenshot on its own does not show when a message was created or whether it was changed. We compare it against the extracted data and report what exists and what has been altered.
Whether files or messages were deleted, and when
Deleted messages, photographs and documents recovered where the device still holds them, each with the date it was created and the date it was removed.
How we are instructed
There are three arrangements. We tell you before we start which one fits and what it changes about the report.
Single expert
Appointed jointly by both parties or by the court. One examination, one report to both sides, and the expert answers questions from either.
Party expert
Instructed by one party’s solicitor. The report is still written to the applicable expert witness code and the expert is available for cross-examination.
Consented collection
A party’s own device or account, collected with their consent and supervised over a video call where the device cannot travel. The record is made once and can be used later without a second collection.
Method
What every matter includes
Forensic collection
Devices and accounts collected with forensic tools to AS ISO/IEC 27037 and NIST SP 800-86, with hash values and a chain of custody record. A second tool cross-checks the first.
A report the court can read
Written in plain language, with each finding tied to its source and the method and limits stated. Readable message exports are supplied so the parties can see what the expert saw.
Named expert
Matt O’Kane, our principal, has given expert evidence in the Federal Court of Australia and the Supreme Court of NSW, and has acted in family law matters since 2021.
Start with a short call
Tell us what is in dispute and what has been preserved. We will say which arrangement fits, what the examination can and cannot show, and what it will cost before any work starts. Related: phone records analysis and unlocking a life left behind.