The world that private investigators live and work in is generally quite different from the average person’s experience. We move in the shadows, largely unseen and rarely heard of. We are, in essence, information mercenaries unencumbered by significant corporate oversight, politics, culture and public perception. We have a singular mandate; find information for the client to meet their objectives without breaking the law. That is all. We have no further powers or authority than the average citizen of this great country, but what we do have is a long list of databases, technology, tricks, skills, sources, and creative solutions that take years to learn, and a decade to master. We work for you, the client, and no one else.

Hiring a Private Investigator (PI) can feel a little daunting, like navigating down an unknown alley in a strange town. Clients that come to us are not usually having a particularly good time at the time of contact and are generally anxious and stressed. They do not really know what to expect, how a private investigator can help, and how gathered evidence is delivered back to them. Our goal with this article is to shed some light on what we do, how you can hire us, and the process of how the assignment unfolds to its finished product. This article is specific to my private investigation firm in its details, but the general principles of this article share much common ground with many other firms that I have encountered.

Step One: The initial consultation

The first step of the process is our initial consultation. At Sterling Oak we take on any investigation where the client has any problem that can be resolved with finding information. This could be anything from market or public stock research all the way to simply serving legal documents on someone whose address you don’t know yet. You can call, text, fill out an inquiry form, or email us directly, and we will respond as quickly as possible. This consultation is your chance to explain to us what the problem is, what services you are looking for, and what timeline you require. This is also a chance for you, the client, to state what your objective is for the investigation, and what your expectations are for our firm. On our side, we are looking to identify the specific problem and identify that objective, while ensuring that the request for information is grounded in reality of the world we operate in. Keep in mind, we are not law enforcement or special constables. We cannot write search or request warrants, check vehicle registration information, or access telephone records directly. We have a variety of methods to look for this type of information, but not through the same channels or databases that peace officers rely on. Finally, we discuss our pricing and give a rough estimate of how much the investigation will cost, based on the information provided.

At this point, if the client decides to go with our firm and services, we move into the next step.

Step Two: Administration

At Sterling Oak Research & Investigations, we require two items to begin an investigation.

First, we require a signed contract and NDA for services. This contract can seem intimidating, as it is designed to protect the firm from the multitude of variables that can come from completing an investigation and how the results are intended to be used by the client. The contract is a requirement for onboarding clients to remain complaint with private investigators insurance (which is required by law for every PI firm in the province of BC). This contract, however, is amendable and we work with our clients on the wording and individual clauses to ensure that the contract is fair to both parties. Each individual investigation is unique, and our standard contract template is meant to encapsulate all clients. This is not a take it or leave style contract, we are happy to work with you to make sure you are comfortable before signing the document.

Secondly, we take a retainer payment to ensure that expenses the firm uses are covered. This retainer payment is generally ¼ - ½ of the expected final invoice, depending on the location of the client. If you reside here in BC, the retainer payment will likely be on the lower end as we are operating in the same jurisdiction. If you are located outside of Canada, the retainer will be on the higher end, as international clients operate within the law and jurisdiction of their place of employment/residence, law that we may not be completely familiar with. This retainer payment, however, is NOT separate from the final invoice. It serves as an advance payment on the entirety of the investigation and is deducted from the final invoice. If the investigation is cancelled before it starts, the retainer will be refunded.

Once the paperwork is completed and both parties are satisfied with the contract and retainer, the investigation starts.

Step three: The investigation

The first thing we will do is ensure that all relevant information from the client is sent to us. For example, if clients are looking for an asset search, we would need to know as much personal and financial data as possible about the subject of the investigation. This information provided plays a significant role in the potential for a successful end to our investigation and prevents us from spending billable hours finding information already possessed by the client.

Clients are often nervous to reveal all information, which is understandable. Many clients come to us when they are in a bad spot and need help, but know that in order to get that help, have to potentially reveal secrets or details about their lives, businesses, or friends/family that can be difficult to do on an emotional level, especially to a third party like a private investigator. One thing I always tell my clients, as a way of reassurance, is that not only have I seen it all before, but my entire business model also relies on my complete discretion. I have vetted politicians, researched both private and public companies on behalf of potential investors, stopped stalkers in their tracks, pulled the masks of scammers, cheaters, thieves and more and not one bit of that information has ever found its way into the public sphere. I do not push my clients to give me information that they are not comfortable sharing but omitting information based on fear of exposure can influence the outcome of the investigation. I have on multiple occasions found information that clients have held back on my own, and while I have no issue with this, generally the clients could have saved some of their money had they delivered the information voluntarily at the beginning.

Once all the supplied information is received, we go out and do our job, collecting the information and evidence needed for the client to obtain their objective. We provide updates throughout the investigation and keep an open line of communication with our clients to make sure we are on track and stay on target for both the time line of expected results and budget. When we have completed our investigation, and the client has confirmed that the objective has been reached, we move into the final stage of our services.

Step four: Report and Invoice

Every client is different and requirements in reporting can vary widely from one case to the next. Some clients require reports and evidence for use in a court proceeding while others are fine with just a short summary of work, or even just photographs. We work with our clients to make sure that our reporting meets their requirements or standard before we deliver, as the reporting process does cost additional funds. There are generally four types of reports that we can produce for clients if required.

• The first type of report is the most common type, which is report/evidence package for use in a legal court proceeding such as insurance fraud, divorce/family law, residential tenancy board hearings, or general litigation. We prepare our reports in this case, to ensure that they are submissible, clear and concise, and all the evidence is backed up with source information, video or photographic evidence, or witness statements.
• The second type of report is one that we use specifically for reporting to law enforcement agencies. These reports are usually tailored to the agency in question, and require far less detail as law enforcement agencies do not usually accept reports from private investigators as stand alone evidence. They take our reports and re-investigate on their own. Our job in these cases is a balance of delivering evidence and showing how we found it, how it is relevant, and the quickest route to re-investigate.
• The third type of report is what we call client requirement/request reports. These reports are not used for court, but are used for a variety of purposes including peace of mind, proof of work, or in some cases, evidence to be used outside of court purposes. These reports are specifically tailored to our clients needs and are not uniform.
• The last common type of report is writing affidavits. This is common in skip tracing (locating individuals hiding from civil courts or tribunals) and court process serving and is the simplest form of reporting. These reports do have an additional cost of notarization, which we bill at cost to our clients.

Final notes — Making it easy to get started

One of the goals we have at Sterling Oak Research & Investigations is to make the first step of picking up the phone and calling a PI as easy as possible. Consultations are free at my firm, and we work with clients to understand the problems they are facing and whether the situation requires the assistance of a PI. We understand that most clients that come in for help are in the center of a crisis and are unsure of how to navigate the storm. Not every phone call results in an investigation, but we are here to assist you and to be in your corner in any way we can.

You can also read this article on substack.