This page is about the first call, not about how to pick a firm. If you are still comparing agencies, start with how to select the right private investigator and red flags when hiring. Once you are ready to open a file, the quality of the work often depends on what you can share at intake.
You do not need a perfect package. You do need a clear objective, a lawful reason to look, and the facts you already have. The notes below are what licensed investigators typically ask for so they can scope the file, quote honestly, and avoid wasting the first days on guesswork.
What to have ready before the first call
Start with four items. If that is all you have, say so. Partial information is still useful when it is accurate.
- The decision you need to make. Confirm a relationship, document workplace misconduct, locate a person, verify income before a support hearing, or check a dating profile before you meet. A vague “I just want to know” goal produces a vague file.
- Who the subject is, as far as you know. Full legal name if you have it, aliases, date of birth or approximate age, last known address, workplace, vehicle, and phone or social handles.
- A short timeline. When the problem started, what changed, and any dates that matter for court, insurance, or an employer deadline.
- What you already collected. Photos, screenshots, emails, texts, bank or invoice copies, and the names of people who already know part of the story.
Write this down before you call. Intake goes faster, and you are less likely to leave out a date or a second phone number that later becomes the only lead.
Identity and contact details that actually help
Investigators cannot invent a starting point. The more precise the identifiers, the less time is spent confirming the right person.
- Full name, maiden name, nicknames, and spelling variants
- Date of birth, or year of birth if that is all you have
- Last known home or work address, and how recently it was good
- Vehicle year, make, model, colour, and plate if known
- A recent photo, even a casual one, as long as the face is clear
- Known phone numbers, email addresses, and public social profiles
If two people share a similar name, say that up front. A wrong-person file wastes money and can create legal risk.
Documents worth sending, and files you should not alter
Send copies, not originals, unless counsel tells you otherwise. Keep a folder of what you already handed over.
- Court orders, pleadings, or a lawyer’s letter that explains why the file exists
- Employment or HR records for a workplace matter
- Invoices, contracts, or bank excerpts for a fraud or support file
- Lease, utility, or mail that supports a last-known address
- A list of relevant third parties: counsel, HR, an insurer, or a family member who may be contacted later
Do not edit screenshots, crop timestamps off messages, or “clean up” a chat export. Investigators and counsel need to see what the original file actually shows. If you are unsure whether a document is lawful to share, ask before you send it.
Digital evidence: keep it, do not expand it yourself
Phones and accounts are often the fastest source of dates and names. They are also where people create new problems.
- Export or screenshot messages with the date visible. Do not delete the thread afterward.
- Save profile URLs and usernames. Do not log into someone else’s account or guess their password.
- Note app names (dating, cash transfer, social) and the last time you saw activity.
- If a device might be needed later, stop using it for “more research” and ask what to do with it.
Hacking, spoofing, or installing spyware is not intake. It can taint the file and expose you to liability. If the issue is an online profile you have not met, the right next step may be a scoped online dating investigation, not more DIY searching.
What you do not need to provide
A licensed firm should not ask for your banking password, full SIN, or unlimited access to every account “just in case.” Share what the objective requires. You can decline a request that feels unrelated and ask why it is needed.
You also do not need a finished legal theory. “I think funds are missing from the business” is enough to start scoping. “Prove my spouse is a criminal” is not a usable objective.
What to bring by type of file
The core list above applies to most intakes. These extras change the first week of work.
Relationship and household files
Bring recent photos, typical schedules, vehicle details, and any messages that show a pattern rather than one angry night. If the question is a partner’s conduct, see infidelity investigations. If the question is hidden income or a new household before support is set, that is a different file: support payment investigations, not a parenting-fitness brief.
Workplace and claim files
Bring the role, location, relevant policies, and a timeline of incidents or absences. HR misconduct and claim activity are not the same job. Workplace policy issues sit under workplace investigations. Employer claim verification sits under WSIB claim investigations for employers.
Locates and background
Bring every prior address, last employer, and family names you can recall. For a skip or missing person, see finding people. If someone is about to enter your home or family, that is closer to family background investigations than a corporate screen.
Business and counsel files
Bring entity names, directors you already know, and the decision date (deal close, hearing, or disclosure deadline). Pre-deal work belongs with investigative due diligence. Internal theft belongs with corporate fraud investigations. Counsel who need scoped field support can start from investigation support for law firms.
What happens after you share the file
A proper intake should produce three things: a restated objective in plain language, a lawful scope, and a time or fee range. If those are missing, pause. How long a private investigation takes depends on that scope, not on a generic promise.
Ask how findings will be delivered, who else will see them, and what is out of scope. Update the file when a new name, plate, or account appears. Do not assume the first report covers people you never mentioned.
Frequently asked questions
Can I start if I only have a first name and a photo?
Sometimes. Expect a narrower first phase: confirm identity, then decide whether a full file is worth opening. The more identifiers you add, the less you spend on the wrong person.
Will the other party know I called?
Not from a discreet records and open-source start. Field work and direct contact raise exposure. Say at intake whether surprise would harm a case, a job, or a relationship.
Should my lawyer send the documents instead?
If counsel is already involved, yes. Routing through a lawyer keeps privilege questions cleaner and keeps the objective aligned with a hearing or deal date.
Is this the same as a background check?
No. A background check is often a defined screen. Intake for an investigation is the briefing that decides what work, if any, should run. Mixing the two is how people pay for the wrong product.
Ready to brief a file?
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, bring the four starter items above and we will tell you what is missing.
To learn more, contact Investigation Hotline at
