This page is about who the client is on the contract when someone else makes the first call. It is not a guide to hiding from the law, and it is not the same as asking whether you can stay off the subject’s radar. Discretion about the investigation is covered on hiring a private investigator anonymously. How to vet a firm lives on how to select the right private investigator.
People ask about a “figurehead” when a parent, lawyer, employer, or friend wants to open the file so the real decision-maker stays in the background. Licensed firms still need a lawful client, a lawful purpose, and a person who can give instructions and pay. Canadian retainer practice is about clarity, not theater.
Who can be the client
The client is the person or entity that signs, pays, and has a legitimate interest in the facts. That can be:
- You, in your own name
- A lawyer acting for you, which is often the cleanest path once counsel is involved
- A company, through an officer or manager who has authority
- A parent or adult child, when the file is about a minor or a dependent and the purpose is lawful
A stranger who wants you to investigate someone they have no connection to, “as a favor,” is not a client you should invent. A firm that accepts that story is not protecting you.
What a middle person can and cannot do
A friend can introduce you. A friend should not pretend to be you on the contract. A bookkeeper can process a payment. They should not invent a fake company to hide who asked for the work.
Counsel is different. Routing through a lawyer keeps privilege questions cleaner and keeps the objective tied to a hearing or deal date. If a lawyer is already involved, have them send the retainer. That is not a figurehead trick. That is normal.
Why firms refuse a fake front
Investigators must know who they work for. A false name on the invoice can taint reports, insurance, and later testimony. It can also create a conflict if the “front” person later becomes a witness or an opposing party.
If the real reason for a front is to investigate your own spouse while using a sibling’s name so you can deny it, say that. The firm can still work discreetly without putting the wrong person on the contract.
Discretion without a fake client
You can ask for no unexpected contact with the subject, no branded vehicles, and reports sent only to you or your lawyer. That is operational discretion. It does not require a dummy signer.
If the worry is a dating profile or a new partner, the work may be a family background investigation or a pre-meet dating check, billed to the person who actually wants the answer.
What to bring if someone else will call
Write down who has authority, who will receive findings, and why that person is allowed to know. Bring ID for the signing client. If counsel is the client of record, the lawyer sends the documents. Intake still needs a real objective; see what to tell a private investigator.
Frequently asked questions
Can my lawyer be the only name on the file?
Often yes, when the lawyer is retaining the firm for a client matter. Ask the lawyer how they want reports addressed.
Can I pay in cash so there is no name?
Payment still needs a lawful client. Cash does not erase the need for a contract and identification.
Is this the same as hiring anonymously?
No. Anonymous hire is about how visible you are to the subject and the public. A figurehead question is about whose name is on the retainer. Mixing them is how people ask for an illegal structure.
Need the retainer structured cleanly?
Investigation Hotline has taken confidential files since 1988. Call (416) 205-9114 or use the contact page. Say who will sign and who will receive the report. We will tell you what the contract can look like and what it cannot.
To learn more, contact Investigation Hotline at
