In a world fraught with deception; scams, hacking, misinformation, fraud, criminal conduct and infidelity one might find themselves seeking the help of a private investigator also known as a private detective and PI. This article is intended to enlighten anyone seeking the services of a private investigator and what they should be aware of before hiring a Private Detective. Know this! Not All Pi’s are qualified. Confidentiality Is Imperative Before discussing a situation with a Private Detective, it is advisable to ask whether the discussion with them will remain private and confidential. The PI should make it abundantly clear that anything discussed will be confidential. If they fail to assure that the conversation is confidential, it would be best to discontinue the communication. Once the private detective is hired, they are required to present their client with a retainer agreement. The agreement should state that all communications and reports will remain as confidential communications and upon a client’s request any report prepared by the PI will be released to the client for their private and exclusive use. The agreement should also provide a clause saying that if ordered by a judicial mandate, a report will be handed over to the court. A retainer agreement should state the nature of the investigation and the amount of the retainer fee required. A proper retainer agreement should include a provision saying that the retainer fee cannot exceed the stated amount unless the client authorizes an increase of the retainer in writing. Furthermore, the agreement should disclose when the investigation will commence. Occasionally, the detective may incur and pay for some necessary expenses during the assignment. A list of possible expenses should be included in the agreement which would be deducted from the retainer, if applicable. Experience Matters As a potential client, it is perfectly acceptable to ask a private investigator how long they have been conducting investigations and also what kind of investigations they perform most often before hiring a private detective. For example, do they specialize in any one particular field? Some investigative specialties are; investigations for attorneys, investigations on behalf of insurance companies regarding insurance fraud, corporate investigations that encompass numerous issues, small to large businesses investigations and infidelity investigations. It is not possible to name every type of investigation requested as they vary so much. Almost all investigators perform services for a variety of people with real problems and severe concerns. The diversity of a PI’s assignments is a barometer of their overall knowledge and experience. While searching for a reputable investigator, it is advisable to look for reviews from their clients on the investigator’s website. Usually, references from lawyers and CEO’s are more trustworthy because they often are written on company letterheads, and that allows them to be verifiable. Private individuals who write testimonials most often do not disclose their entire name. Therefore, it’s difficult to determine if a private person’s reference letter is authentic. The Better Business Bureau is another excellent resource to look up a private detective’s rating, before hiring a private detective. How to Request an Investigation Describing a particular issue to an investigator for the first time can be emotionally involved. Please be mindful of the fact that most people seeking the services of a private detective have never done so, and nearly all are somewhat uncomfortable about discussing a personal matter with a stranger. When describing your issue be very clear about all details and try not to wander into areas that do not pertain to your particular issue which should be the investigative goal. Try to stay focused on what the detective should do. Ask the detective if they have ever conducted an investigation similar to the one you presented. There are two ways the conversation will turn out. Either the investigator was attentive and understood your investigative request, and they explained what would be the best method to accomplish your goal, or they appeared disinterested and were not paying attention. Go with who sounded most professional or move on to another investigator if the experience was unfulfilling and uncomfortable. A lack of interest coming from the investigator translates to a lack of focus and poor results at the conclusion of the investigation. The Birth of an Investigation: Think of a blank blackboard. Then, little by little entries are written in that being to tell a story, and that is how investigations usually start. Much depends on upon what the client knows and has in the way of documentation. Sometimes a client can only offer what they know and nothing more. The following are a few examples of how an investigation begins. Legal Investigations and Litigation Support: Attorneys deal with a myriad of complex cases ranging from A-Z and their investigative requirements are usually quite demanding because their client’s cases are often emotionally upsetting and some clients could be sentenced to serve time in prison while others could be facing financial ruin. The challenges are many working with lawyers, and they are also very gratifying when the investigator finds valuable evidence that promotes a favorable settlement in a litigated matter or helps in obtaining a not guilty verdict. Infidelity and Surveillance Investigations: Both require surveillance that cannot begin unless the client knows without a doubt where the subject will be before the investigator starts surveillance. Upon learning where the subject is, it is customary to conduct a survey in advance of the location before starting the surveillance. It is important for the private investigator to become familiar with the topography of the subject’s neighborhood and its inhabitants. It can be quite dangerous if the investigator takes up a surveillance position in a community known for gang drug activity. Finding a strategic location for the investigator to park their vehicle to have an unobstructed view of the subject’s location is imperative. Restricted street parking is often a problem, and should be taken into account before commencing surveillance. Another aspect of an advance survey is to study the ingress and egress of nearby streets and become familiar with them so when the subject departs the PI will
