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What should you have in place before you hire an investigator?

Answer questions about your scope, what can lawfully be obtained, the investigator and how you will pay. See how much you have checked and what to ask before you commission anything. Runs in your browser. No account, no card, no call.

Before you commission anything

Answer for how things are today. Runs in your browser. Nothing is sent.

Your scope

Can you say in one sentence what you need found or verified?

Do you know which state or jurisdiction the person or asset is in?

Have you written down what you already know, such as full name, last known address and dates?

Have you decided what the report must contain for you to act on it?

What can lawfully be obtained

Have you checked that a licensed investigator can lawfully obtain what you are asking for where you are?

Has the investigator explained how they will obtain each item in the report?

Has the investigator told you what they will not do?

The investigator

Have you checked the investigator's licence against the state register yourself?

Have you seen proof of the investigator's insurance?

Do you know who will actually do the work?

Price and payment

Is the price fixed for a defined scope, rather than open-ended by the hour?

Is the scope and deliverable agreed in writing before you pay?

Will your payment be held until the report is delivered?

Do you know what you pay if nothing is found?

Answer the questions to see your score. It updates as you go.

Method: yes scores a question in full, partly scores half and no scores nothing. Each is weighted from one to three by how much it protects you from paying for the wrong work or for nothing, and the score is the weighted share, as a percentage. Unanswered questions are left out.

What should you have in place before you hire an investigator?

Answer questions about your scope, what can lawfully be obtained, the investigator and how you will pay. See how much you have checked and what to ask before you commission anything. Runs in your browser. No account, no card, no call.

Open the free tool

It runs in your browser. DetectiveHive never sees your inputs.