While I hope you never find yourself in the position of needing a P.I, they do in fact provide an important service to the community, often a good PI will work very hard to not only help their clients but do so in a law-abiding and discreet way to ensure their client’s privacy and reputation is not besmirched in any way. So let’s look at some of the things that should be looked for in a good PI agency should you ever find yourself in a position of needing one.

References

Obviously, it goes without saying that a personal reference from a trusted source who knows you are the best kind. However, in the field of Private Investigation, you may not always be able to find one of your friends who has needed the services of a PI. The next best thing in my book would be a mixture of Google My Business reviews, reviews on forums and most local government or law enforcement would have a list of appropriately licensed PI firms to choose from. Always look to research the company you intend to use online and see what people have said about their service.

Licensing

When consulting with a firm whose services you are interested in engaging be sure to ask them for evidence of their licensing from your local government or relevant authority. This ensures not only that they are professionally accountable for their actions, but it also shows that their investigators most likely have had their past conduct and background scrutinized before being licensed, giving you extra peace of mind.

Testifying in Court

A lot of PI’s will come from a professional law enforcement background, whether that be regular or federal police.  And as such if they come from this background they will understand how the legal system works and what is required by you before you go to court and also how to professionally collect evidence that is able to be submitted in court. And they would also know how to effectively testify to the evidence’s validity and credibility. Talk to your investigator   (dependent on the nature of your case) you should ask them what their professional background is, what previous experience they have with evidence collection and testifying and whether they would be willing to stand up in court and testify to the evidence they collect ’s authenticity.

A good judge of character and human behaviour

In the field of private investigation, one of the best traits your PI can have is the ability to spot patterns in human behaviour and to successfully predict how a person will respond to a situation or development, and how to use this to his advantage in order to conclude your case to your satisfaction and a PI  who is a good judge of character will be able to absorb and transmit information more effectively.