A career as a private investigator is unlike any other. Every day can be an adventure with new challenges to meet, and new problems to solve. You could find yourself secretly following someone, going undercover, finding a missing person, or testifying in court.

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The job of a private detective and/or investigator is to gather information for businesses and individuals. They assist attorneys, businesses and the public with a variety of legal, financial and personal problems. Most detectives and investigators are trained to perform physical surveillance, often for long periods of time. They are also able to perform computer database searches that allow them to quickly obtain massive amounts of information.

They question suspects, catch culprits and file complaints about suspects with the police. As a result, they often testify in court. In most cases, carrying a weapon is not necessary for a private detective or investigator because the main purpose of detective work is finding and collecting information – not law enforcement.

Should you find yourself in need of a private investigator, it is important that you hire one who is licensed. Using an untrained investigator can result in significant problems. Consider that:

• Someone who has not been fully trained may take unnecessary steps in the investigation that will cost you time and money.
• An untrained investigator may not know the basic rules and/or the law and end up causing you problems by doing something illegal during an investigation.
• An informed attorney could discredit an improperly licensed investigator on the stand by asking them what sort of license they hold, what agency they were working for, etc. If they were working independently and not properly licensed as an agency they themselves are breaking the law so their testimony would be greatly compromised.

• Ask someone you trust for a referral.
• Make sure that the investigator you use is properly licensed and insured.
• Ask the investigators if they have worked on this type of case before and if so what the results were.
• Set out a budget for the investigation.
• Listen to your investigator, they may have ideas or suggestions you had not considered.
• Make sure you are comfortable and have good communication with whomever you choose.