What does a private investigator do?
A licensed private investigator conducts professional investigations on behalf of individuals, attorneys, businesses, and organizations. Core services include covert surveillance and activity monitoring, background checks and public records research, fraud detection and documentation, asset searches and financial investigations, witness location and interviewing, and evidence collection for legal proceedings. Specialized services include child custody investigations, corporate misconduct inquiries, and digital and social media investigation.
Private investigators have no police powers—they cannot make arrests, execute search warrants, or compel testimony. Their value lies in lawful fact collection, source documentation, and clear reporting. Counsel and the court decide whether particular evidence is admissible.
How much does a private investigator cost in Florida?
There is no reliable statewide price for every matter. Cost can depend on the objective, lawful source fees, travel, staffing, urgency, reporting requirements, and whether the assignment uses field surveillance, background research, fraud fact development, or another method.
Before authorizing work, ask for written engagement terms identifying the hourly or fixed-fee basis, retainer, anticipated expenses, initial scope, and how changes are approved. Any estimate should be treated as planning information rather than a guaranteed total because new facts or changed scope can affect the work.
Is hiring a private investigator legal?
Yes, when the engagement and methods are lawful. Florida-licensed investigators operate within Florida Statutes Chapter 493, but a license does not grant police powers or override privacy, property, communications, employment, or court-process rules.
Investigators cannot rely on a client request to justify trespass, unlawful interception, hacking, impersonation of law enforcement, or unauthorized access to protected records. Emerging Investigations scopes work around lawful sources and documents methods so counsel or the relevant decision-maker can evaluate potential use; no investigator can guarantee admissibility. See our firm-selection guide and licensing explainer.
How long does an investigation take?
Duration depends on the objective, quality of the starting information, lawful source-response times, field conditions, subject activity, jurisdictions, staffing, and decisions made by the client or counsel. A records-only background assignment has different dependencies from surveillance, fraud fact development, or an asset search.
Ask the agency to identify the planned start, review checkpoints, outside dependencies, and stopping conditions. A timeline estimate is not a completion guarantee, and an engagement can end earlier or require a revised scope as facts develop.
Will my investigation be confidential?
Confidentiality is central to our practice, but it is not an absolute evidentiary privilege. We restrict case information to identified recipients and document handling expectations in the engagement. Lawful process, safety concerns, licensing oversight, records obligations, or the client's authorized direction may create limited exceptions.
If privilege or work-product protection matters, counsel should determine the engagement and communication structure. Learn more in our Florida investigator confidentiality guide.
Additional PI Resource Pages
Start with the private investigation resource directory, or review our History of Private Investigation, Most Notable Private Investigators in History, Female Private Investigators, High-Profile Clientele Division, PI Internship Programs, and our legal explainer on whether Florida PIs can access text messages.