Check References

If your investigator is unable to supply references, check for media coverage for an investigation.

If you feel comfortable with the investigator, he seems to be professional, he appears to have the experience necessary to get the job done, and his rates and expenses are acceptable, tell him you are interested in working with him but that you would like to check into a few references first. Because of the confidentiality associated with private investigation, your potential investigator might not be able to provide you with names. If he does, though, make contact with a few references to find out how satisfied they were with the investigator’s job performance.

If your investigator is unable to supply references, ask him if he has ever received media coverage for an investigation. Most investigators will maintain a scrapbook of any such coverage, which you can look through to get a feel of the potential investigator’s job performance and success. Of course, some investigators prefer to remain low-key, so media coverage might also be unavailable.

Hiring a private investigator should never be rushed into. If the investigation is important enough to be done in the first place, it is important enough to be done right.