They are used to track down dead-beat dads, to find witnesses to crimes and accidents, and to dole out subpoenas.

In cultural lore, they come by the names of Sam Spade, Mike Hammer, and Thomas Magnum. In reality, private investigators don't skulk around looking for the Maltese Falcon or cruising Hawaii in a Ferrari. But the thousands of private investigators who are licensed in Florida are an invaluable resource for criminal and civil lawyers.

In criminal cases, where prosecutors have law-enforcement officers for their investigation, private investigators serve as the defense's detective.

"They help verify or dispel the credibility of the accusations from the other side. That's where they're the most important," Orlando attorney Richard Hornsby said.

Hornsby gave one example of how a private investigator was key to proving his client didn't commit a rape: Hornsby's private investigator befriended the woman on MySpace and read her posts, which talked about meeting a man at a party and later having sex with him. Essentially, the exchange showed the sex was consensual. Hornsby said the woman finally admitted the accusations weren't true.

Investigators have access to databases that can help them uncover a lot about a person — ranging from a list of their relatives, neighbors, addresses, phone numbers and employment history.

They also have high-tech tools like wireless cameras, which lets them watch live video stream via the Web.

A great deal of a private eye's work is done the old-fashioned way. They perform surveillance and interview people face-to-face, on the phone and even by e-mail.

A former Orange County sheriff's investigator, said he once surveilled a man who was drawing workman's comp after he complained of a neck and rotator cuff injury.

He said he videotaped the man as he walked into his deposition using a walker. He could barely walk back out the door. The private investigator then followed the man as he drove away and stopped at a gas station. When the man got out of the car, he ran to the cashier.

As he continued to watch. Soon he videotaped the man using a chain-saw on tree limbs that had fallen on his property during a hurricane. Ironically, as the man was working, he incurred a real debilitating injury.

The limb the man was cutting fell on him. He broke his leg.

The case ended up going to court and the man did receive some money, but it wasn't nearly the amount he was looking for.

Winter Park attorney Gary Boynton, who primarily practices civil law, said private investigators are an important resource.

He said there are some places and some people who simply won't talk to him. But they'll open up to a private investigator — perhaps they feel less threatened than talking to a lawyer.

PIs are also valuable because attorneys can't testify in court about photos, statements or other information they've learned in their own cases. Private eyes can.

The investigator is an independent person whose credibility usually isn't in question.

They gather information that can discredit the claim against a client, and collect that information with a critical eye.

"They can help you prove your innocence in many cases"

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