Private investigators are also known as private detectives. These are hired professional who specialize in research. Although they are not police officers, some states require them to have this experience for them to work as licensed investigators freely. In one way or the other, you may need the help of a private investigator, and that is why it is essential that you select the best investigator that can help you with your investigation. You do not want to invest your hard earned money on an investigator who cannot help you. However, finding an investigator that is trustworthy and qualified can be very hard, so that is why we have prepared some tips for you; these should help you find the right investigator quickly.
Referrals: Finding someone reliable is a must; this is because it is certain that you will be sharing most of your information with him or her. So you should ensure that you do as much research on him as you can. You can as well choose to ask your friend or relatives about recommendations. Looking for customers’ reviews on the private investigators can also help find a reliable one. You can also ask your potential investigator any reference that you can call, and they should be very willing to provide you with one or two.
License: Licensing is a must in Singapore; therefore, you must ensure that your potential investigator is licensed to operate. You can ensure this by inquiring about their license number which you can then check with the local municipality in your area to ensure that it is indeed valid. You must check to see if the names match and whether there are any complaints filed against them.
They should have an office: The investigator you choose to go for should have an office, a place where you can go and find him any time of the day. An investigator who only meets through phone calls or in restaurants is questionable, and working with such a person may not be fruitful. So you should always make sure that he has a permanent physical location where he can be found in case of anything.
Arrange for a meeting: Before you can assign him the work in question, it will be a good idea to meet with him first; this will help you establish some of his personalities. The best investigator is the one who is friendly with his clients, and arrogance should not be accepted. In addition to that, this meeting will enable the two of you to understand each other more and establish a strong business relationship hence improve your trust in him. For you to hire him, you must make sure that you feel comfortable around him and that there is no any kind of pressure from him.
Experience: Getting an investigator who is specialized in the task at hand is the ideal thing to do. This will help him to do the task in the right way. You should, therefore, inquire from them if they have done tasks similar to yours and how they worked out. This will enable you to determine their capability of succeeding in yours.
Insurance: A very serious private investigator will have insurance. This is essential for both you and your client. This is because in case something happens during the course of the task, you and your investigator will be held liable. However, with insurance, you are sure that there is insurance coverage.
Confidentiality: You must ensure that the potential investigator is able to be discreet and also respectful of the information that you have shared with him or her. This is very important because leaking the information might put you at risk or even ruin your relationship.
Your first consultation with the investigator should be free. The investigator should then be able to give you an outline of the anticipated cost. And upon choosing to follow through with the task, ensure that all the fees, as well as expectations, are outlined in the contract in a clear way.
You must make sure that you are very ready to handle whatever he may find out, especially when this involves people who are very close to you. While you may wish that he proves your fears wrong, preparing yourself before hiring him is important.