You’re Ready for the Next Step

If you have reached this page, you are likely beyond general research and are preparing to move forward with investigative services.

This stage is designed to make engagement efficient, organized, and clear from the beginning.

Before investigative work begins, we want to make sure the objective, scope, documentation, communication expectations, scheduling considerations, and payment requirements are aligned.

Our goal is simple:

Begin with clarity so investigative resources can be directed where they are most likely to create value.

Before You Engage

Please make sure you have completed the preliminary intake process or have otherwise been directed to this page.

If you have not yet submitted your matter for review, begin there first.

Complete Confidential Intake

If your matter has already been reviewed and you are ready to proceed, continue below.

Step 1: Confirm Your Investigative Objective

Before payment or formal engagement, identify the primary question you want the investigation to help answer.

Examples may include:

What happened?
Where is a person, asset, record, or entity located?
Can a factual statement be independently verified?
What records exist regarding a person, property, company, or transaction?
Is there information relevant to pending or anticipated litigation?
Can a timeline be reconstructed?
Can witnesses or other relevant individuals be identified or located?
Are there inconsistencies in existing documentation?
What additional facts may help support an informed decision?

The clearer the objective, the more effectively investigative resources can be allocated.

You do not need to know exactly how the investigation should be conducted.

That is part of our role.

You should, however, be prepared to explain what you are trying to determine and why the information matters.

Step 2: Gather Your Existing Information

Before work begins, organize the materials you already possess.

Useful information may include:

Important Dates

Prepare a basic chronology of significant events.

Relevant People and Entities

Identify individuals, businesses, organizations, agencies, properties, or other entities connected to the matter.

Existing Documents

Gather records that may help establish the factual background, including:

contracts;
court filings;
correspondence;
emails;
text messages;
photographs;
videos;
financial records;
business records;
insurance documents;
property records;
prior reports;
social media information;
witness information; and
other relevant documentation.

Known Facts

Identify what you can already establish through records, direct knowledge, or reliable sources.

Unresolved Questions

Create a short list of the information you still need.

This can become the foundation of the investigative plan.

Step 3: Identify Any Deadlines

If your matter involves a deadline, tell us immediately.

This may include:

court dates;
hearings;
filing deadlines;
mediation;
depositions;
settlement discussions;
property transactions;
business closings;
insurance deadlines;
scheduled meetings;
travel;
expiring access to records or evidence; or
any other event that may affect investigative timing.

Please provide the exact date whenever possible.

Urgency may affect availability, scope, recommended strategy, and cost.

Step 4: Tell Us About Your Availability

Investigative matters often require coordination.

You may need to participate in an interview, provide clarification, approve additional work, review information, communicate with counsel, or respond to a developing issue.

We understand that clients may also be managing employment, litigation, family obligations, travel, business responsibilities, and other commitments.

Before engagement, identify:

your preferred communication method;
your general availability;
any periods when you cannot be reached;
whether communication must be especially discreet;
whether another authorized person should be included in communications; and
any time-sensitive restrictions affecting the investigation.

A limited caseload allows us to coordinate services more intentionally around reasonable client availability.

Step 5: Understand the Scope

Investigative services are performed according to an agreed scope.

The scope defines the work being authorized.

Depending on the engagement, services may include research, records review, fact development, interviews, surveillance, field investigation, due diligence, locating individuals or assets, timeline development, litigation support, documentation, or other lawful investigative activity.

Not every service is appropriate for every matter.

Your scope should reflect:

the investigative objective, the information currently available, the resources authorized, and the most productive next step.

If additional investigative needs emerge, expanded work may require additional approval and payment.

Step 6: Review Fees and Payment Requirements

Investigative work requires committed professional time and resources.

Payment requirements should therefore be addressed before work begins.

Depending on the engagement, fees may be structured as:

a fixed project fee;
an hourly engagement;
a prepaid block of investigative time;
a retainer;
a phased investigation;
or another agreed billing structure.

Additional costs may apply for authorized expenses such as records fees, travel, mileage, specialized databases, third-party services, rush requests, or other case-specific expenditures.

The applicable fee structure should be provided before payment.

Ready to Fund Your Engagement?

If your matter has been accepted and you have received the applicable engagement terms, you may submit payment below.

Secure Your Case Allocation

Because we maintain a limited caseload, payment may be required to reserve investigative capacity and authorize scheduling.

Please do not submit payment unless you have been directed to do so or have received the applicable engagement terms.

Payment alone does not expand the authorized scope of services beyond the applicable agreement.

What Your Payment Does

Unless otherwise stated in your engagement terms, payment may:

reserve investigative capacity;
satisfy an initial retainer or project fee;
authorize the agreed phase of work;
allow scheduling to begin; and
move your matter into active case preparation.

The exact application of funds will be governed by the applicable engagement agreement, invoice, service authorization, or other written terms provided to you.

When Does the Investigation Begin?

Investigative work should not be assumed to have begun simply because intake has been submitted.

Work generally begins after all required engagement conditions have been satisfied.

These may include:

case review and acceptance;
confirmation of the investigative objective;
agreement regarding scope;
execution of required engagement documents;
receipt of required payment;
delivery of necessary client information or documentation; and
scheduling of the matter.

Once those conditions have been completed, the matter may be placed into active investigation according to availability and the agreed terms.

If You Are Working With an Attorney

Please identify your attorney during intake or before active work begins.

Depending on the matter, it may be appropriate to coordinate investigative activity with counsel.

Provide:

attorney name;
law firm;
contact information;
case or cause number, if applicable;
relevant deadlines; and
any instructions regarding communication or document delivery.

Investigators provide investigative services, not legal advice.

Questions involving legal rights, legal strategy, admissibility, filings, privilege, or procedural requirements should be addressed with qualified legal counsel.

If You Are Representing Yourself

You may still engage appropriate investigative services.

Be prepared to clearly identify the factual questions you need investigated.

We can assist with lawful investigative tasks within the agreed scope, but investigative services do not substitute for legal representation or legal advice.

What We Need From You

The strongest client relationships are built on accurate information and clear communication.

Please:

provide complete and truthful information;
distinguish facts from suspicions or assumptions;
disclose relevant litigation or legal proceedings;
disclose known conflicts or safety concerns;
communicate important deadlines;
provide requested documentation promptly;
avoid directing unlawful or inappropriate investigative activity;
review communications and findings carefully; and
notify us if circumstances materially change.

Information omitted at the beginning can affect strategy, timing, cost, and results.

What You Can Expect From Us

When a matter is accepted, our objective is to provide disciplined, professional investigative service.

You can expect an approach centered on:

discretion;
lawful investigative methods;
case-specific planning;
clear scope;
organized documentation;
professional communication;
responsible use of investigative resources;
factual independence; and
transparency regarding meaningful limitations.

We will not promise a predetermined outcome.

We will work to develop information that can help you understand the facts and make better-informed decisions.

A Note About Results

Payment purchases professional investigative services.

It does not purchase a guaranteed factual conclusion.

An investigation may confirm a concern, contradict it, narrow the issue, reveal additional questions, or determine that certain information cannot reasonably be verified.

The value of the work lies in professional fact development—not in producing a result tailored to expectation.

Final Engagement Checklist

Before moving forward, confirm that you are prepared to provide:

your primary investigative objective;
relevant names and identifying information;
important dates and deadlines;
existing documents and records;
litigation information, if applicable;
attorney information, if applicable;
known safety or confidentiality concerns;
preferred communication method;
scheduling limitations; and
the required payment or retainer.

Once these items are in place, the investigation can begin from a much stronger position.

Ready to Proceed?

If your matter has been reviewed, your engagement terms have been provided, and you are prepared to authorize services:

Fund Your Engagement

CHECK CONTACT EMAIL

After payment, you will be directed to the confirmation page with instructions regarding next steps.

Need to Complete Intake First?