Investigations handled with care and discretion

This is the heart of what we do. Doubts about a partner are exhausting to carry alone, and things can feel even harder when there are worries about abuse, drug use or an ex-partner you share children with. We will listen without judgement, talk through what is realistic, and, where we can lawfully help, gather the facts quietly and carefully so that whatever you decide next is based on what is actually happening.

Where this may help

• Suspected infidelity: understanding whether concerns about a partner’s behaviour, unexplained absences or changes in routine are founded
• An abusive or controlling partner: helping you put together a careful, factual record of events that you may wish to share with the police, your solicitor or a support service
• A partner or ex-partner’s drug use: discreetly establishing facts where you have genuine concerns, particularly where children may be affected
• An ex-partner you share children with: establishing information that you or your solicitor may need, for example about whether agreed arrangements are being kept or where an ex-partner can be contacted for a legitimate purpose

Please note: Our role is lawful fact-finding and honest reporting. We are not an emergency, counselling or legal service, we do not confront or approach anyone on your behalf, and we never access phones, messages or accounts without authority. We cannot promise that an investigation will prove infidelity, stop abuse, decide a court case or keep anyone safe, and an absence of evidence does not always mean nothing happened. Where children are involved, your solicitor can advise on what information is relevant and how it may be used. We may decline an instruction where there are concerns about legality, safety, privacy, harassment or misuse of information.

Sometimes the only way to understand what is really happening is to see it. Surveillance is the careful, planned observation of a person, vehicle or location in public, recorded accurately so that you have an independent and factual account rather than someone else’s version of events.

Where this may help

• You suspect a partner is not where they say they are
• You need an independent account of an ex-partner’s movements or activities for a legitimate purpose
• You need observations recorded as timed notes, photographs or video for a report

Please note: Surveillance is only undertaken where it is lawful and appropriately justified, and never in a way that puts you, us or anyone else at unreasonable risk. It can be affected by weather, traffic, access and the subject’s own movements, so uninterrupted observation can never be guaranteed.

Findings are only useful if they are clear. Each investigation concludes with the reporting agreed at the outset, which may include written observations, timelines, photographs and supporting documentation, set out in a way that is easy to follow and to pass to your solicitor if you choose.

Where this may help

• A clear, organised record to inform your own decisions
• Material to share with your solicitor, the police or other authorised recipients
• Evidence logged and handled carefully, with a recorded chain of custody where appropriate

Please note: Our reports distinguish observed facts from assumptions, allegations and opinions. We cannot guarantee that material will be accepted by a court, including the family court, so please take legal advice before relying on a report in any proceedings.

Before you trust someone with your home, your money or your children, it makes sense to know who you are dealing with. Background research gathers relevant, lawfully available information into a clear picture that you can weigh up for yourself.

Where this may help

• Checking claims a new partner has made about themselves or their history
• Understanding more about someone before a significant personal or financial commitment
• Checking a prospective business partner, landlord, supplier or contractor

Please note: Information from third-party sources can be incomplete, inaccurate or out of date, so we report what we find with its sources and limitations made clear.

Sometimes you need to find someone: a relative you have lost touch with, or an ex-partner your solicitor needs to contact. Tracing enquiries aim to establish a current whereabouts or point of contact through lawful research and enquiries.

Where this may help

• Locating an ex-partner for a legitimate purpose, such as so that your solicitor can contact them
• Reconnecting with a relative or someone you have lost touch with
• Following up where previous attempts to make contact have failed

Please note: Not everyone wishes to be found, and some people have good reasons for that. We consider the safety and rights of the person being traced, and we will decline or pause an instruction where there are concerns about harassment, safety or misuse of information. Locating an individual cannot be guaranteed.

A great deal can be learned from information that is publicly available, provided you know where to look and how to verify it. Open-source intelligence (OSINT) research methodically gathers and assesses publicly accessible information, including online sources.

Where this may help

• Understanding a person’s public online presence, such as dating or social media profiles
• Verifying identities or claims someone has made
• Adding context and leads to support other enquiries

Please note: We use publicly accessible information and lawful methods only, never unauthorised access to accounts, devices or private records.

Whether it is money that has gone somewhere it should not, a person who is not who they claimed to be, or a deal that does not add up, fraud concerns call for a careful and evidence-led approach.

Where this may help

• Suspected financial dishonesty by a partner or someone you trusted
• Dishonest dealings involving individuals or traders
• Gathering information to share with your solicitor, bank, insurer or the police

Please note: We work within the law at every stage and cannot guarantee that an investigation will establish wrongdoing. Where findings are inconclusive, we will tell you so plainly.

We also help employers and businesses establish the facts discreetly, so that sensitive internal matters can be handled fairly and on a sound footing.

Where this may help

• Concerns about employee conduct or suspected misconduct
• Questions about sickness absence or working practices
• Suspected leaks of confidential information

Please note: Our reports are factual and support your own process. We do not make employment decisions or give legal advice, and we recommend taking appropriate advice before relying on findings for significant decisions.

If your situation does not fit neatly into a category, please get in touch anyway. Other lawful investigative work can be discussed and agreed in writing, and if it is not something we can help with, we will tell you plainly.

Discuss your situation