Private investigations
Child Custody Investigations
Lawful, documented fact-finding for Arizona legal decision-making and parenting time cases. We record what we observe, tie it to the factors the court must weigh, and hand your attorney a report that stands up to cross-examination.
When you need a child custody investigation
A child custody investigation is a licensed private investigator’s independent documentation of facts that bear on a child’s best interests, gathered lawfully and reported in a form a family court can use. Arizona statutes use the terms “legal decision-making” and “parenting time” rather than custody, and the judge decides both by weighing the best-interest factors in A.R.S. 25-403. Our job is to find out what is actually happening, not to pick a side.
Parents and their attorneys usually call us when:
- A child comes back from parenting time describing an adult or a household nobody mentioned
- There are concerns about drinking or drug use around exchanges or while driving with the child
- The other parent seems to be living somewhere other than the address in the parenting plan
- School attendance or medical appointments are slipping during one parent’s time
- A parent plans to relocate, or a modification petition is being prepared or answered
- The other side has made allegations and you need independent facts to respond
What we cover
Activity documentation
Time-stamped observation of exchanges, pick-ups, drop-offs and conduct in public view. Arizona field work is in-house surveillance. Out of state, we coordinate vetted, locally licensed partners.
Residence and household checks
Who lives at an address, which vehicles are there overnight, and whether the home matches what was told to the court, all from public records and public vantage points.
Background on new adults
Public-record background checks on a new partner or roommate who spends time with the child: criminal court filings, protective orders and sex offender registry status.
Online evidence capture
Public posts, photos and videos captured with dates and URLs through social media evidence preservation, so they can be authenticated rather than argued over.
How it works
- Confidential consultation. We discuss the concern, the court schedule and whether you have an attorney. If you do, we prefer to work through them.
- Define the question. We match the work to specific factors, for example the child’s adjustment to school, or substance use near exchanges, instead of watching someone at random.
- Written scope and quote. You approve the dates, hours and deliverables before anything starts.
- Field and records work. Investigators document observations and run public-record checks. Exchanges and weekends are planned around your parenting time calendar.
- Report. A neutral, chronological report with photos and video. It includes what helps you and what does not.
- Testimony if needed. The investigator who made the observations can testify about them.
Arizona law that sets the boundaries
A.R.S. 25-403 lists the factors the court considers, including:
- The past, present and potential future relationship between each parent and the child
- The child’s interaction with parents, siblings and anyone else who may significantly affect the child’s best interest
- The child’s adjustment to home, school and community
- The mental and physical health of everyone involved
- Which parent is more likely to allow frequent, meaningful and continuing contact with the other
- Whether there has been domestic violence or child abuse
In a contested case, the court must make specific findings on the record about all relevant factors. Under A.R.S. 25-403.04, if a parent has abused drugs or alcohol, or been convicted of a drug offense or certain DUI offenses within twelve months before the petition, there is a rebuttable presumption that legal decision-making by that parent is not in the child’s best interests. Documented, dated observations matter in that analysis.
Timing matters too. Under A.R.S. 25-411, a motion to modify legal decision-making or parenting time generally cannot be made earlier than one year after the decree, unless affidavits show the child’s present environment may seriously endanger the child.
Honesty is enforced. A.R.S. 25-415 requires the court to sanction a litigant who knowingly presents a false claim under 25-403. That is one more reason we report facts, not conclusions.
The methods we will not use:
- No secret recordings of other people’s conversations. Arizona is a one-party consent state under A.R.S. 13-3005. We do not record conversations we are not part of, and we do not plant recorders in homes or vehicles.
- No GPS on a vehicle the client does not own. Using a GPS device to surveil a person without authorization can be part of a stalking course of conduct under A.R.S. 13-2923.
- No approaching the child. We do not interview, follow or photograph a child for the purpose of drawing them into the dispute.
- No account access. We do not log into the other parent’s email, phone or social media, and we do not pretext to obtain protected records.
Private investigation in Arizona is regulated under A.R.S. 32-2401 et seq. Our DPS agency license is No. 1759795.
Checklist before you hire anyone
- Talk to your attorney first. They know what the judge in your case will find useful and what disclosure deadlines apply.
- Keep your own log. Dates, times and exact words of what the child or the other parent said. Write it the same day.
- Stop doing it yourself. Following the other parent or confronting a new partner can end up as evidence against you.
- Do not install anything. Hidden apps or trackers on the other parent’s phone or car can create criminal exposure. If you think one is on your own device, see our spyware and stalkerware detection service.
- Plan around the calendar. Summer break, school holidays and long-weekend exchanges are when routines change. Schedule observation for the days that matter.
Who this is for
- Parents in a pending legal decision-making case
- Parents considering a modification petition
- Family law attorneys and their paralegals
- Grandparents and relatives seeking or defending visitation
- Parents responding to a relocation request
- Military parents with deployment schedules
How it is priced
We do not publish prices. The cost depends on how many days of observation the case needs, where the parties live, and how much records work is involved. We quote in writing before any work starts, and we do not exceed the approved hours without your written approval.
| Included | Quoted separately |
|---|---|
| Confidential planning consultation | Additional observation days |
| Public-record checks scoped in the quote | Out-of-state field work through partner agencies |
| Neutral written report with photos and video | Deposition, hearing or trial testimony |
| Secure delivery to you or your attorney | Process serving and travel outside Arizona |
Frequently asked questions
Will your investigation help me win custody?
We cannot promise an outcome, and we do not take sides. We document facts the court can weigh under A.R.S. 25-403. Sometimes those facts support your concerns. Sometimes they show the other household is fine, which is also worth knowing before a hearing.
Can you put a GPS tracker on my ex’s car?
No. We do not put a GPS device on any vehicle the client does not own, and tracking a person without authorization can fall under Arizona’s stalking statute. We use lawful observation instead.
Can you record the other parent’s phone calls or conversations?
No. Arizona allows recording only by a party to the conversation, or with a party’s consent. We do not record conversations we are not part of.
Do I need an attorney before hiring an investigator?
It is not required, but it is strongly recommended. An attorney can tell you which facts matter, how evidence must be disclosed and whether the investigator should be retained through their office.
Will the other parent know they are being observed?
Investigators work discreetly and from public places. If an investigator believes they have been noticed, they disengage rather than escalate.
Related services
- Private investigations
- Threat assessment and stalking response
- Skip tracing and people location
- Photo and video metadata forensics
- Process serving
Related guides
- Child custody investigator in Arizona: gathering evidence for family court
- Child custody surveillance in Arizona
Sources: A.R.S. 25-403, best interests of the child, A.R.S. 25-403.04, substance abuse, A.R.S. 25-411, modification, A.R.S. 13-3005, interception of communications, A.R.S. 13-2923, stalking.
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Get facts the court can use
Request a custody investigation online and it goes straight to the investigations team, in confidence. If a child is in immediate danger, call 911 first. For a fast-moving situation such as a suspected removal from the state, use our urgent intake form.