How to hire a Private Investigator

How to hire a private investigator: A 5-step guide to help you find the best one!

In this article, you will discover how to hire a private investigator. We have categorized the issues to consider in a convenient 5-step guide. The steps allow you to:

Define your requirements without skipping any details
Get insight into the investigation company’s abilities
Have all the information at hand to ask relevant questions
Evaluate the investigation company so that you can find someone suitable

After going through the steps, the right private investigator can also assess your situation more quickly and advise you about the right investigative services and approach.

How to assess a private detective agency?

If you have no experience hiring a private investigation company or detective agency, we advise you to take the steps of this guide in the correct order. With some experience, step 1 may not be necessary, and if you have chosen a good PI company to contact, you may only need to use step 2.

Step 1 | Understand the scope

Private investigators have numerous skills and offer various services, from tracking down someone and conducting background checks, to gathering intelligence. Some specialize in corporate investigations, while others focus on working as a divorce, cybercrime or digital private investigator. Undercover investigators can work on stalking or corporate fraud cases, sometimes assisting police or other federal institutions.

When you understand that PIs may have a specialty, you will better define your purpose of hiring someone and ask them appropriate questions.

Step 2 | Define the purpose

Whatever your case may be, summarizing your information enables the intended company to assess your situation better and faster. The company can instantly indicate if they can help you. You can outline your information by answering questions such as:

First, inform the company if you are in any danger (threats, stalking or bribery). Do you feel that you need protection?
What or who is the target for the investigator?
Does the situation pose any threat to you, as far as you know?
Is your situation personal or business-related?
Is undercover, covert, or discreet investigation required?
Where is the target located?
Does the investigator need to travel?
What documentation, data, or other relevant information do you have available?
What other personal or business information can you disclose that might be relevant to your case?
Have you tried any other ways or agencies to help you solve your problem?

Not every question requires a detailed answer. You can use the list as a starting point of your conversation.

Step 3 | International private investigations

Check for professional investigative agencies that operate internationally. In our experience, many cases cross borders, and engaging a company with international experience will certainly increase efficiency and positively affect the outcome.

A professional agency is transparent about its services and willing to share knowledge with you. Check if they have an elaborate website, are present on social media and whether it is easy to contact them. Also, can you meet with them, online or at an office? How professional do they come across to you?

Being transparent does not imply disclosing any details about clients or part of their methods. It would violate the client’s privacy. Discussing certain methods or a specific approach should only be done in direct contact with you.

Step 4 | Ask relevant questions

If you have found a company that you would like to contact, you can keep the following questions at hand to find out more about their experience and get a feeling about their competency.

They should be instantly able to answer:

What is your experience?
Where/in which countries does your company operate?
How do you deal with confidentiality/integrity?
What licenses, skills and experiences do your employees have?
Have your employees been screened?
How is your company insured?
What is the daily rate or fixed fee for my request?
What type of investigation is your specialty?
How does your customer service work? Do I sign a contract?
Can you provide references/reviews?

Once you feel comfortable to hire a PI, you can share details about your specific situation (using the questions in step 1). Professionalism is important. Almost all investigations require discreet investigators, it’s important to find a company or investigator that can handle confidential and sensitive information with care.

Next, summarize your request once more to ensure the company understands your requirement. Finally, if they respond to your liking, ask for a quotation.

Step 5 | The offer and process

Understand that a suitable offer can only be provided if the company understands your situation completely. Subsequently, the offer should include professional advice, a plan of action, and, if possible, a projected outcome. Also, look out for details about how the company will interact with you to monitor the process.

Our experience as a private investigator

Our employees are all former military, police and intelligence officers from specialized units around the world, who have been trained to work according to the latest tactics and procedures. We can work by your side or remotely and help you wherever you find yourself in the world.

Our services include:

More information on how to hire a private investigator

Feel free to contact us for additional information about how to hire an investigator. We look forward to tell you more about our investigative experiences and to uncover the truth for you.