Private Investigations
Answers you can act on.
Discreet, professional investigations nationwide. Ten areas, every case type we handle — find yours and click straight through, or open the whole area.
What we investigate
The questions we answer — one firm.
Ten investigation areas. Click your exact case type to go straight to it, or open the area to see everything it covers.
10 areas · 40+ case types
Surveillance & Activity
Discreet field surveillance with photo and video documentation — the coverage that turns a suspicion into a record.
Domestic & Family
Personal and relationship matters, handled with discretion and care — clear answers you can rely on.
Background & Vetting
The full picture on a person or company before you commit — for employment, tenancy or peace of mind.
Corporate & Employee
Protecting the business from the inside — fraud, theft and conduct issues, documented so you can act.
Insurance & Injury
Claim verification and activity checks that document the facts of a claim clearly and objectively.
Financial & Hidden Assets
Following the money — fraud, hidden assets and the paper trail behind a dispute or judgment.
Locate & Recover People
Finding people — family, heirs, witnesses, debtors and the simply out-of-touch — with discretion and persistence.
Digital, Cyber & OSINT
Investigations that live online — open-source research, social media and cyber-enabled wrongdoing.
Technical Sweeps (TSCM)
Professional counter-surveillance sweeps that find hidden cameras, microphones and trackers — and give you back your privacy.
Legal Support
Investigative support for legal matters — service of process, witness work and case support attorneys can rely on.
How we work
One case team, from first call to final report.
Every case is run by professional investigators who do this work full time — quietly, lawfully and with a plan. You get one point of contact and a straight account of what we find.
We tell you up front what an investigation can realistically establish, then we go and establish it — and we write it up so the findings are clear, organized and easy to act on.
Common questions
Before you call
Completely. Your matter is handled quietly from the first call, information is shared only with you, and we work discreetly so an investigation does not become the thing people notice.
We document to a standard that stands up — photographs and video captured and dated, records organized, and a clear written report. Whether a matter ends up with an attorney, an insurer or an HR team, the findings are ready to be used.
Yes. We support legal teams, HR departments and claims professionals as often as we do private individuals and families, and we deliver in whatever form each of them needs.
Local cases are worked by our own investigators. Beyond our direct footprint we reach through a vetted network operating under Honeybadger’s accountability — one firm answerable to you.
Preparing for the first call
What to gather before you talk to an investigator
The first conversation goes further when you bring the facts you already have. You do not need everything on this list, but each item tends to save time, and time is usually what an investigation costs.
- The question you need answered. Not “find out everything,” but something specific, such as whether a claimant is working, where a person now lives, or who had access to missing funds.
- Identifiers for the subject. Full name, known addresses, date of birth or approximate age, vehicles, employers, and recent photographs.
- A timeline. When the concern started, what changed, and any dates or patterns you have noticed.
- Documents already in hand. Court filings, correspondence, prior reports, financial statements, or screenshots, kept in their original form.
- Who will use the result. Whether findings go to an attorney, an insurer, an HR team, or only to you affects how the work is documented.
- Deadlines. A hearing date, a claim window, or a filing deadline shapes what is realistic.
Just as important is what not to do beforehand. Confronting the subject, installing tracking or monitoring software yourself, or logging into someone else’s accounts can alert them, damage the evidence, or create legal problems of your own.
Lawful limits
What a licensed investigator will not do
An investigation is only useful if the way the information was obtained can survive scrutiny. That means staying inside the law, even when a shortcut looks tempting.
Arizona licenses private investigators through the Department of Public Safety, and licensed investigators operate within the same laws as everyone else. A few boundaries come up often. Arizona is generally a one-party consent state for recording conversations, which means an investigator cannot record a conversation they are not part of and do not have consent to record. Investigators do not access protected accounts, email, phone records, or bank data without legal authority. They do not trespass on private property to get a photograph, and they do not impersonate law enforcement.
Our article on what Arizona PIs can and cannot do covers more of these limits. This is general information rather than legal advice; the details of a specific matter should be confirmed with counsel.
If a provider offers to get phone records, read private messages, or place a tracker on a vehicle you do not own, treat that as a warning sign. Evidence gathered unlawfully can be excluded and can expose the client to liability.
Evaluating a provider
How to judge any investigator, including us
Most people hire an investigator once or twice in their lives, so it is hard to know what good looks like. These criteria hold up regardless of case type.
Licensing you can verify
Ask for the agency license and confirm it with the state. Work done by an unlicensed party can be challenged later.
Honest scoping
A good investigator tells you what is realistically findable and what is not, before taking a retainer, and may talk you out of work that will not answer your question.
Sample reporting
Ask what a final report looks like: how observations are timed and dated, how sources are cited, and how media is preserved.
Clear communication
Know who your contact is, how often you will hear from them, and how decisions about extra hours or expenses are approved.
Testimony readiness
If the matter may reach court, the person who did the work should be prepared to explain it under oath.
For a fuller checklist, see how to choose a private investigator.
Cost and scope
What drives the cost of an investigation
There is no single price for an investigation because the effort depends on the question and the subject.
- Field time. Surveillance is labor-intensive, and the number of investigators, hours, and days is usually the largest factor.
- Research depth. A records check on one person differs from tracing a network of companies across several states.
- Travel and location. Work outside the metro area or out of state adds time and expense.
- Subject behavior. A subject who is rarely out, changes vehicles, or is surveillance-aware takes longer to document.
- Reporting and testimony. Court-ready reports, affidavits, and testimony are additional work.
Defined phases with a check-in after each one help keep spending tied to results. Our article on what a private investigator costs explains typical fee structures.
More questions
Questions people ask once a case is underway
What if the investigation does not find anything?
A documented absence of activity is still a finding, and sometimes it is the answer you needed. We report what was observed and what was not, and we will tell you if more effort is unlikely to change the picture.
Will the subject know they are being investigated?
The work is planned to stay discreet. If there is a real risk of exposure, we raise it with you before continuing rather than pressing on.
Can I share the report with my attorney?
Yes. Many clients engage an investigator through their attorney from the start, which can matter for how the work product is treated. Ask your counsel which approach fits your matter.
How often will I get updates?
Update frequency is agreed at the outset. For surveillance, that often means a brief summary after each day in the field and a full report at the end.
To talk through a matter confidentially, request a consultation or call 602-725-2818.
Start with a confidential consultation
Tell us the situation. We’ll tell you what’s possible, how we’d approach it, and what to expect — no pressure, and no fee to have the conversation.
Licensed investigators for every kind of case: