This page matches a problem to a type of investigative work. It is not the hiring-and-vetting guide. For how to compare firms, start with how to select the right private investigator, then 10 questions before you hire and red flags when hiring. Licence details sit on private investigator credentials.
The usual mistake is hiring a generalist week for a specialist question, or hiring a specialist who only does the adjacent file. The notes below are a routing map. They are not a substitute for the selection articles above.
Start from the decision, not the label
Write the decision in one sentence. Then pick the work that produces facts for that sentence. “I want a private investigator” is not a decision. “I need to know if this person still lives at the address before I serve papers” is.
- If you are still unsure you need anyone, use do I need a private investigator.
- If you already know you need someone and want to brief them, use what to tell a private investigator.
Family and relationship files
Partner conduct and time away from home usually sit under infidelity investigations. Parenting-time and custody evidence sit under child custody. Hidden income or a new household before support is set is support payment investigations, not a fitness brief. A person about to move into your home is family background, not a corporate screen. Elder-care attendance or caregiver concerns sit under senior care audit investigations, not a domestic-partner file unless that is actually the relationship.
Work, claims, and money inside a company
Policy and misconduct at work sit under workplace investigations. Employer claim verification sits under WSIB claim investigations. Internal theft and occupational schemes sit under corporate fraud investigations. Insurance claim fraud is its own product under insurance fraud investigations. Do not buy “workplace” when the question is a claim, or “fraud” when the question is HR process.
Online, dating, and scams
A profile you have not met is online dating investigations. Money already sent to a trading or romance-investment pitch is investment scam investigations. Device and account artifacts sit under digital investigations. Structured public-source programs sit under OSINT. Year-round scam habits are blog topics, not a service substitute: start with online fraud and money scams.
Locates, deals, and counsel
A skip or missing person is finding people. Activity in public is surveillance. A deal or counterparty before you sign is investigative due diligence, with transaction-specific work under M&A investigations when that is the actual close. Lawyers who need field support can start from investigation support for law firms or litigation support for court orders when an order already exists.
After you know the type, go back to hiring
Once the file type is clear, return to the selection guide and the questions list. This page does not rank agencies and does not replace rates or references. It only stops you from briefing the wrong team.
Frequently asked questions
Can one firm do all of these?
Many can, but the first week should still be one objective. A kitchen-sink retainer is how files stall.
What if two types apply?
Say both at intake and ask which week comes first. Example: confirm identity, then decide on surveillance.
Is this how I choose a PI?
No. This is how you choose a file type. Choosing a firm is the hiring guide.
Ready to route a file?
Investigation Hotline has taken confidential intakes since 1988. Call (416) 205-9114 or use the contact page. State the decision in one sentence. We will tell you which service page applies, then you can still use the hiring articles if you are comparing more than one firm.
To learn more, contact Investigation Hotline at
