Choosing a Private Detective
If you need to track a person down, keep an eye on someone’s activities, or otherwise learn information, you may be thinking about hiring a private investigator (PI). With so many choices out there, hiring the right private investigator can seem like a daunting task. Make sure you do your research before talking to someone, and be prepared with the right questions. You want someone you are comfortable talking to who can get the information you want.
PI's can provide a variety of services, including background checks, tracking down child support or custody, providing electronic and video surveillance, or tracking down individuals. You can hire a private investigator to help with legal proceedings, including gathering more information for use at a trial, or to provide you with information that may lead to legal actions.
Once you know what you are looking for, start looking for names. Start with referrals, people who have used a PI in the past. If you don’t know anyone who has hired a PI before, start by flipping through a phone book, or searching for investigators in your area using an internet search engine. Once you have some names, take a look and see if they have websites, which will allow you to learn more than just seeing a line in the phone book. Most sites will list the business’ skills and services, which should help narrow down your list of people to consider.
PI's who are good at looking for information will do much of their work in an office, using the internet and telephone to track people down. This can be a useful service, though less so if you want a PI to follow someone for surveillance.
Most states require that PI's be licensed by the state. Each state has different rules and requirements for a license, so the standards will vary. Still, if your state requires a license, the PI's you look at should have them.
When you start to talk to PI's, you’ll need to make sure the investigators you talk to are people you will be comfortable working with. You will need to provide this person with sensitive information, and trust that he will treat it confidentially. If you do not feel comfortable sharing this type of information with this person, you aren’t going to work well with the PI.
In addition, you should take notice of where and how the investigator interacts with you. People you interview should have a professional office that you can visit and will clearly spell out the fees for their services.
When you go into meet with the investigator, be sure to bring any information relevant to the case you want him to work. These will vary depending on what you want the PI to do, but can include a variety of documents, photographs, or general information.
When you talk to the PI, make sure you ask how long they have been doing the specific type of work you are asking them to do. Discuss their specialties, the length of time they have been working, and if they have been deposed or testified in court.
Your first consultation will also involve the PI asking you a few questions. He will want to clarify what you are asking him to do and learn more details about the information you have provided to make sure he can provide the best service possible. He will also need to cover himself, and make sure that you aren’t asking him to do something illegal. If you don’t know the answer to a question, say so. Lying or making something up will not help you or the PI, and might make your situation worse. Remember, you are hiring him to find information you don’t know, so don’t be afraid of not knowing something.
Investigating can cost time and money, and you should have a clear understanding of what your investigation will cost. In most cases, the PI will charge an hourly rate, which will vary depending on the service you are asking for and the length of time it will take. You may also be charged for additional job-related expenses like airline tickets and long-distance calls. Remember that you are paying for the service, not the results. If you hire a PI to track your girlfriend, and it turns out she isn’t having an affair, you’re still on the hook.
Once you have hired your PI, let him have a few days to get started on the investigation. If the information was that easy to find, you probably wouldn’t have needed to hire him in the first place.
There are some limits to what a PI can do when investigating. A PI cannot wire tap, obtain cell phone toll records, obtain financial records without a court order, pull credit reports without a signed authorization, or hack into someone’s email or social media accounts.
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