What Should You Expect from Private Investigators Hired to Find People?


by John Dobson - Date: 2007-06-18 - Word Count: 758 Share This!

As with most professions, there's a wide range of talent, expertise and integrity to be found among investigators hired to find people. It's an uncomfortable thought. After all, there's no way around entrusting a private investigator with personal information and you have to pay them up front for their services. How can you avoid getting burned?

If you're lucky, you'll hire a private investigator with years of experience, expert skills and many timely, successful reunions under their belt. But if you don't know what to expect throughout the investigation process there's no telling what you'll end up with. What should you expect from a private investigator that specializes in finding people?

How Does the Search Begin?

- First the investigator will ask specific questions and then request payment to begin your search. The information they ask for will include your full name, address, email address and telephone number. A responsible investigator will also ask why you are performing the search.

- Second, you will need to provide specific information about the missing person. Their full name, gender, last date of known whereabouts and previous addresses are typically required. Depending on the specifics of your search request, information about the person's employment history, relatives, hobbies or interests may also be required.

- Third, a professional investigator will provide you with a start date as well as some time-guideline within which you should expect results. In other words, they will provide some sort of milestones regarding your case. When you need to find people fast, a professional should be able to expedite your request for an additional fee.

How Does the Private Investigator Find People?

A private investigator should outline details about how the search will proceed. Expect answers to the following questions and any others you may have:

1. What steps will they take in the search process?

2. Can you request more aggressive search techniques or more frequent search activity?

3. Are they skilled in search techniques beyond database searching such as identifying and interviewing people sources?

4. How will their geographic location guide or impede their search?

You should expect to receive specific information about the search process and their qualifications in the level of detail you ask for. You should also expect to receive practical advice that is relevant to your search.

For example, a U.S. based private investigator may refer you to an Australian-based people search professional if he or she believes that is where your missing person is most likely to be found.

It is common for a search to begin with specialized database records inquiries. To find people who do not wish to be found, the search may then proceed to interviewing people sources uncovered during records searching. Depending on the specifics of your case, the search may progress from there to other specialized tactics professionals utilize to find people.

When Should I Expect Results?

Reports on results should be provided to you in keeping with the milestones outlined at the start of the search. Within two weeks, you should expect to receive some an update regarding possible paper source information the investigator has uncovered.

At this point the investigator's efforts to find people should be thoroughly assessed and discussed. This will help you determine whether or not every avenue truly has been explored. You should ask and receive information about what the investigator has and has not found out.

How often or how many times have records sources been searched? New information may pop up anytime, and a professional will be diligent and aggressive in records searching. If the search has progressed to interviewing, how many individuals has the investigator spoken with?

What Next?

Even the best private investigators sometimes fail to find people in the first phase of their search. As part of the search assessment he or she should provide you with additional avenues or options that may be taken in the next search phase. It should be left up to you to decide if you wish to continue looking.

Professional investigators will be honest about what they have found, as well as when and where they found it. They will be just as honest when it comes to assessing the future prospects for successful location, independent of what you may or may not wish to hear.

If you have outlined your expectations from the onset and your investigator has met each one, you should be able to trust and respect their opinion and feel confident about their recommendations.

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Article by John Dobson of OZpeopletrace. OZpeopletrace is a professional people finder service specializing in locating individuals in Australia. To learn more about OZpeopletrace visit www.OZpeopletrace.com.au.


Related Tags: people search, missing persons, people finder, find people, find someone, people search australia

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