subject: Hiring A Private Investigator: What They Can Do For You [print this page] There are plenty of different reasons to hire a private investigator. You might want information about someone, check to see if your lover is cheating on you or you could just need a hand finding some buried information. With any of these scenarios, a PI can help you out. It is their job after all. You still need to be careful about which one you choose though.
We tend to have a pre-conceived idea of what PIs are like. We imagine a dingy backroom office, the cigar and fedora . . . But nothing could be further from the truth. Most of them actually work in perfectly nice offices and look like anyone else you'd see on the street. In fact, many are retired police officers or military officers.
By hiring a professional to handle things for you, it's easier to get the info you need. Maybe you're trying to build a case against someone and the police aren't interested. Or perhaps you have to find a missing person. Either way, a PI can be a valuable asset to any investigation.
It's very important to check out the person you are thinking of hiring. Look into their background a bit, make sure they are actually licensed and that they can carry a weapon legally if necessary. This is important in cases where things might get a little dangerous.
A good investigator will have experience in the area you require. For example, if you have someone who is usually a bounty hunter and you need them to check on an iffy company to see if you should invest . . . They might not be up to the task. Find out what their area of specialty is. Then ask them how they plan to help you. They should have a fairly standard process for situations like this.
You will likely have to answer a number of questions, as well. A good investigation will be faster if the person has all the information up front, so you need to share what you have so your PI can do a better job.
Hiring a private investigator is something that will depend on your individual situation. We tend to think of them as being good for catching a cheating spouse and indeed, that's a good use for a PI, but they can do much more. They'll help you track people via paper trail, find debtors, look for missing people or find out information about something from the past that has been buried. There are many ways to use a PI.
