This page is about whether a file is worth opening, not about how to pick a firm. If you already know you need help, use how to select the right private investigator and red flags when hiring. If you are ready to brief a file, see what to tell a private investigator at intake.
You do not need a crisis to call. You do need a decision that facts would change, a lawful reason to look, and a problem that records, fieldwork, or open-source work can actually touch. The notes below are how licensed investigators sort “I am uneasy” from “this is an investigation.”
A file is worth opening when a decision depends on facts
Hire when you must act soon and the missing piece is evidence, not advice. Typical decisions: whether to sign, whether to confront, whether to file, whether to let someone into a home, or whether a claim or payment story is true.
- You have a named person, company, or account, even if the details are thin
- The answer would change money, safety, a hearing, or a contract
- You already tried the obvious public checks and they conflict or stop
- A deadline exists: close date, court date, travel, or a planned meeting
A vague wish to “know everything” is not a file. “I need to know if this address is still in use before Friday” is a file.
When you can wait or handle it yourself
Some problems are real and still not investigative work. A licensed firm should say so.
- You want general legal advice. That is counsel, not surveillance.
- You want someone followed out of anger with no decision attached.
- The only lead is a first name and a feeling.
- The conduct is already on camera you control, and you only need to save the clip.
- Police have an active crime scene and you would be walking into it.
If the issue is a dating profile you have not met, a scoped online dating investigation may be enough. If money already moved into a trading or romance-investment pitch, that is post-loss investment scam work, not a “do I need a PI” puzzle.
Match the problem to a type of work
Needing an investigator is not the same as needing every service. Mixing types is how people pay for the wrong week of work.
- A partner’s pattern of absences is often surveillance or an infidelity investigation, not a background screen.
- Hidden income before support is set is a support payment investigation, not a custody parenting brief.
- A workplace policy issue sits under workplace investigations. An employer claim check sits under WSIB claim investigations.
- A skip or missing person is finding people. Someone about to enter your household is closer to family background.
- A deal, partner, or counterparty before you sign is investigative due diligence, not an employee background check.
What “need” does not include
A licensed firm should not promise a result, hack an account, or trespass because you are sure. If the only plan is illegal access, you do not need an investigator. You need to stop.
You also do not need a finished legal theory. “I think inventory is leaving through a side door” is enough to scope. “Prove they are a criminal” is not.
A one-call test
Before you book, write four lines: the decision, the subject as you know them, the deadline, and what you already have. If you cannot write the decision, you are not ready. If you can, bring those lines to intake. Time still depends on scope; see how long a private investigation takes after the file is defined.
Frequently asked questions
Can I call just to ask if I need one?
Yes. A useful call ends with one of three answers: open a scoped file, wait and collect X, or this is not investigative work.
Is suspicion enough?
Suspicion plus a decision and a starting point can be enough. Suspicion alone is not.
What if I am wrong?
Then a narrow first phase should stop. A firm that expands automatically after a negative first week is selling hours, not answers.
Ready to decide?
Investigation Hotline has taken confidential intakes since 1988. Call (416) 205-9114 or use the contact page. If you are still choosing a firm, read the selection guide first. If you already know the assignment, say the decision you need to make.
To learn more, contact Investigation Hotline at
