Why Hire a Licensed PI
When you actually need a private investigator, and when you don't.
Most situations don't need a private investigator. A few situations genuinely do. Here's how to tell the difference.
Most situations don't need a private investigator. A few situations genuinely do. Here's how to tell the difference.
A licensed private investigator is the right move when you need documented, legally admissible evidence in a situation where the stakes. Financial, legal, or personal. Justify professional investigation. The questions to ask before hiring one are pretty simple.
Matrimonial proceedings, civil litigation, custody hearings, insurance disputes, criminal defense. These are situations where evidence has to meet specific standards (chain of custody, source documentation, willingness to testify) that ordinary research can't satisfy. A licensed PI's work is built for that level.
Modern surveillance is a craft. Following a subject for hours without being noticed, documenting their movements with photo and video that holds up in court, and operating in dense urban or rural environments. These need experience that comes only from years of fieldwork.
Investigations that cross borders need networks that an individual can't build. Vetted in country investigators, language capability, and the operational coordination that overseas casework demands.
If you have reason to believe you're being electronically monitored. Bugs in your office, hidden cameras, compromised phones. A TSCM specialist with proper equipment is the only realistic answer. Consumer "bug detectors" do not work.
Many situations need investigation that nobody. Including the people closest to you. Can know about. A licensed PI is bound by professional standards of confidentiality and operates with the discretion these situations demand.
This is rarely the right framing. If your goal is confrontation rather than legal action, a long conversation with a therapist is usually a better investment than an investigator.
Real investigation takes time. Even straightforward matrimonial surveillance is typically a multi day engagement with multiple investigators. The cases that resolve in a single afternoon are usually the ones where the answer was already obvious.
A reputable licensed PI will not violate state or federal law on your behalf. We will not "hack" accounts, install illegal tracking devices, or trespass. We will tell you upfront what's legal and what isn't.
New York needs private investigators to hold a state license from the Department of State. NYS DOS License #11000169770 is ours. The license needs background check, experience verification, examination, bonding, and continuing compliance. It also means our work is admissible in New York court proceedings in ways that unlicensed work often isn't.
If you're considering hiring a private investigator and want to discuss whether it's actually the right move for your situation, call David. We've been doing this for 40 years and we'll tell you honestly whether your case needs investigation or not.