How Private Investigators Prove Infidelity for Divorce Cases
May 25, 2021 - Reading time: 8 minutes
Most marriages can withstand many different ups and downs over the years, however, one thing which most people will not tolerate is infidelity. Infidelity is very often a catalyst for marriages in the UK to breakdown and ultimately for divorce.
You might expect to share all parts of your life with your spouse and to not keep secrets from each other; and if your husband or wife is cheating on you, then you have a right to know everything that is going on. This is where we come in.
How can private investigators prove divorce?
Private investigators will typically prove that divorce is taking place through conducting personal surveillance. As part of our surveillance service, we will monitor the subject, follow them around, and collect photos/video in order to document their activities.
Photos/video which are gathered by private investigators can be used to substantiate claims that infidelity is taking place within a marriage.
We would typically recommend that surveillance is conducted until such time that high quality, timestamped images have been gathered by us which clearly demonstrate the subject being involved in a romantic relationship with a person other than their husband or wife.
In many cases, our clients decide that they would like us to continue surveillance for a prolonged period, which can help to clearly demonstrate that infidelity is taking place over a number of weeks, months, or even years in some cases.
Ultimately, it is up for our clients to decide if they are happy with the evidence which is gathered through a short period of surveillance. An increasing number of our clients decide to continue with surveillance over a longer period and to gather more substantial evidence. Much depends on the nature of the divorce in each case, the subject’s activities, and our clients’ respective budgets.
Avoid “DIY investigations”
“DIY investigations”, whereby a person will decide to try and cut cost by conducting an investigation themselves, or by recruiting a friend to help, are almost always a bad idea, and for a number of different reasons.
Over the years we have seen examples where our clients attempted a “DIY investigation”, with shocking results in some cases. Discreetly gathering evidence grade photography without being noticed by the subject (or anyone else), can prove to be more difficult than you might first think, and if your images are unclear or blurred, then you have basically wasted your time.
If the subject of an investigation notices that they are being followed around or photographed, then we would expect them to change their behaviour; and many people will become paranoid after this type of experience, which can make our job that much harder.
When a person believes they are being monitored, they may choose to alter their behaviour. For example, if they aware of an impending divorce, they might choose to avoid spending time together with their lover in public, which can massively hamper the ability of a private investigator to prove infidelity is taking place.
Ultimately, trying to save money by hiring an amateur or attempting the investigation yourself can end up costing far more money than it saves in the long run.
If you have already attempted an investigation yourself, then please make this clear when getting in touch with us, as it will likely influence the methods used by us in your case. Likewise, if you have previously threatened your spouse that you might hire a private investigator, then please let us know.
Advantages of using private investigators
Using a private investigator from our firm ensures that you will receive the best possible quality evidence in each case, gathered discreetly, and without the subject even being aware that they were monitored by us.
Many of our investigators come from a former law enforcement (police) or armed forces background, and are fully experienced in the most effective surveillance techniques. We will endeavour to assess the situation, understand what your goals are for the case, and provide the most efficient and cost-effective solution.
We operate a network of highly skilled and experienced private investigators across all areas of the United Kingdom and abroad. If you are interested in learning more about the services that we offer, then please check our homepage at PrivateInvestigators-UK.com, or feel free to get in touch with one of our experienced team members for help and advice on your situation.
How to hire a private investigator
Hiring a private investigator to gather proof of infidelity during a divorce case can prove very useful to our clients, and provide them with the proof needed for their divorces, which can help to save enormous amounts of cash in many cases.
When hiring a private investigator to help gather evidence for use in a divorce case, we believe it’s important to provide as much information and details as possible. The more information that you provide a private investigator, the better.
For example, during mobile surveillance, we would ask the client to provide a list of locations where the subject is likely to visit. This might include their gym, coffee shops, restaurants, the address of their friends or parents, or their lover’s address. Basically, any locations they might visit during the surveillance assignment.
We would typically ask our clients which locations they believe their spouse is likely to visit. Other information which might be useful to us includes the subject’s clothes, their style of dress, and even their footwear.
It would also be helpful for our investigators to know whether the subject of the investigations has tattoos, wears distinctive jewellery, wears glasses, smokes cigarettes or vapes. If the subject drives a car or motorbike then it would be helpful for us to have the vehicle’s number plate, or at least the make/model/colour/year.
If our client is able to provide us with a description or photos of their spouse’s lover, this information would also be useful to us. Links to the subject’s social media profiles can also help us to better understand their lifestyle in many cases.
Hire a local private detective
At PrivateInvestigators-UK, we believe that local knowledge and experience makes all the difference. That’s why we operate a vast network of private investigators across all areas of England, Scotland, Wales, and NI. Our network of local detectives allows us to provide the best and most effective service in every case.
Please visit our homepage to learn more about our services and pricing, or feel free to reach out to one of our experienced team members for help and advice on your situation.
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What Private Investigators CANNOT Legally Do in the UK
May 24, 2021 - Reading time: 8 minutes
Private investigators in the UK are bound by the same laws as everyone else, and a competent detective will never perform tasks which could be construed as breaking the law. With that said, there are sadly some rouge elements within every sector who may decide to play by their own rules. It’s important to note that if you intend to use evidence which is collected by a private investigator in court or for any official purpose, then you must ensure that the evidence was collected legally.
With that in mind, we have put together the following list of tasks which private investigators CANNOT legally perform in the United Kingdom:
1. Hack a phone, computer, website, or social media account
Hacking is against the law, full stop. And there is no exception to this for private investigators. We are often asked to help to hack into social media accounts, phones, computers, or websites for our clients.
Particularly in infidelity (cheating partner) investigations, our client may be keen to view messages which their partner has been exchanging with other people. As a responsible agency, we refuse all such requests and advise our client that the task they are asking us to perform is against the law.
We have been contacted by numerous individuals who have ordered “hacking services” over the years. Typically, after someone has paid for one of these services, the provider will take their money and do nothing. As the service itself is against the law, most people will not be willing or able to pursue action against the fraudster. We advise all of our clients to avoid such services and not be tempted to break the law in this way.
There are some exceptions to this rule, for example, if a company provides its employees with company owned laptops or phones, the company may choose to install monitoring software on those devices to keep tabs on how the devices are used by their staff. Software can also be used to monitor children’s use of the internet, where the parents purchased the device and retains ownership of it. Where monitoring software is used on a device, the end user must be aware that they are being monitored and consent to the collection of their data.
2. Go through people’s rubbish
Going through people’s rubbish can often reveal a surprising amount of information about them and their lifestyles. In addition, many people will not think twice before throwing away private documents such as bank statements or utility bills in their general waste without first shredding it. Information found in rubbish bins can not only prove useful to private investigators, but also to stalkers, fraudsters, and criminals.
The merits of going through a person’s rubbish are not often disputed, however, the legality surrounding this task is not as cut and dry as you might think.
If you have a wheelie bin filled with rubbish in your garden, then no-one should be going through it and taking any items away from your private property. When refuse is disposed of in a communal bin (at a block of flats, for example), then the legality of going through that waste and removing items can vary depending on how you (and your legal advisors) interpret the law.
If a private investigator (or anyone) enters your land/property without your permission, this may be considered trespassing, which is a civil matter. If your rubbish is stored outside the boundary of your property, such as in a communal area or on the side of a road, then establishing wrongdoing can prove more difficult in these cases.
3. Break the speed limit
In spite of what Hollywood might have you believe, private investigators are not permitted to break the speed limits or drive dangerously. Any investigator worth their salt will break off a surveillance assignment if the subject vehicle begins driving dangerously or speeding.
Private investigators have an ethical obligation to the welfare of themselves, the subject of their investigation, and to members of the general public. Breaking speed limits is a definite no-no for private investigators working in the UK.
4. Take photographs on private property
Private investigators are free to take photographs in any public space, just as all members of the British public are. In practice, this means that private investigators are able to photograph you on the street, or in public areas. Private investigators can also take photographs of your private property from public areas. There is only wrongdoing when a detective takes photos of your private property whilst on your private property.
A private investigator would technically need permission to take photos while standing on your private property, or anyone else’s private property.
5. Fit a tracker to your car
As a leading detective agency based in the UK, we use GPS tracking devices to track vehicles on a day-to-day basis. However, tracking devices can only be used under certain circumstances. Private investigators are not allowed to trespass onto your property in order to fit tracking devices, for example.
6. Install bugging devices in your home
One task that private investigators often perform is installing hidden microphones inside properties in order to record conversations and listen in to what is being said. Bugging devices can be used with permission of the property owner; generally speaking, if you need us to install a bugging device in your property, that’s fine. Private investigators are not able to fit bugging devices where they are not wanted or without permission from the property owner.
Our agency has seen numerous examples where hidden microphones have been installed by other private investigators, police, or members of the public. As part of our bug sweeping services, we can search for and locate these devices, and our likelihood of locating bugs during bug sweeps has actually increased in recent years, as these devices become more advanced and widely available for purchase through the internet.
If you suspect that a private investigator, or anyone, might be watching you, then we would recommend that you consider the possibility of adversaries using bugging devices to spy on you.
7. Access confidential records such as bank statements
As private investigators, we are often tasked with locating people through the searching of public records, or running criminal record/litigation checks for our clients. Whilst private investigators are allowed to use publicly available records to assist during investigations, they are not allowed to access private records such as a subject’s bank statements or other confidential records.
When a client asks whether we can help to access private bank account records, we are obliged to refuse and advise them that this information is private and that they have no right to access it.
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What Are Private Investigators Allowed To Do in the UK?
May 23, 2021 - Reading time: 9 minutes
There is currently no licensing system in place for private investigators in the UK, this means that British private detectives are bound by the same rules as everyone else. Private investigators will carefully navigate the law in order to gather the most evidence in each case whilst remaining fully legal.
As a leading detective agency based in the UK, our work can be varied and we offer many different services to a wide variety of different client bases. However, as many people may never be in a position where they decide to instruct a private investigator, they might be unaware of what we are allowed to do, and the tasks that we regularly perform for our clients.
With this in mind, we have put together the following list of tasks which private investigators are allowed to perform in the UK:
1. Use hidden camera equipment
Private investigators are permitted to take photographs or video in any public space. This includes taking photos/video of private property whilst they are located on public property. In many cases our detectives will use high powered DSLR cameras to zoom in from a long distance, we can also use night vision cameras where doing so might benefit the case.
If a private investigator needs to take up-close video of a subject, then we will sometimes rely on hidden cameras in order to do so. A competent investigator will typically have a small arsenal of hidden cameras which can be easily incorporated into any outfit or style of dress; tiny pin hole camera lenses can be concealed in shirt buttons, glasses, jewellery, pens, keychains, and inside many other different items. Decent hidden cameras are almost always impossible to spot with the naked eye.
2. Install listening devices
Listening devices or hidden microphones can often be installed inside properties in order to listen in on conversations. In other cases, such as during cases which involve the investigation of care workers/nannies, we can install hidden cameras inside properties in order to capture footage of suspected abuse.
There are strict laws governing the use of hidden microphones/cameras, and private investigators must carefully navigate the law and avoid monitoring people where it would not be appropriate to do so.
However, it is not only private investigators who have access to such devices. As part of our bug sweeping service, we often locate and destroy hidden microphones/cameras which have been planted in our clients’ properties by police, business rivals, spouses, or other private investigators. We understand that bugging devices, when misused, have the potential to seriously infringe on your privacy.
3. Fit GPS trackers to vehicles
The prevalence of GPS tracking devices has grown massively over recent years, and these devices are often fitted to vehicles by the police as part of criminal investigations. Private detectives can also fit tracking devices while conducting private investigations, and it is easy to understand the benefits of tracking vehicles in this way.
Using GPS tracking devices to check the whereabouts of a car can prove extremely useful during surveillance cases and allow the detective to begin surveillance at key points. This can allow our clients to save money on surveillance time and maximize our chances of securing the “money shot”.
Whilst GPS tracking devices can be used during private investigations, detectives and their clients must ensure that their usage is within the law at all times.
4. Process serving
A common task for most detectives and detective agencies working in the UK is process serving. Process serving (or “service of process”) is simply the procedure whereby a party is formally served with paperwork relating to proceedings which involve them.
Some of the different documents which are commonly served by us in the UK include:
- Non-molestation orders
- Divorce petitions
- Injunctions
- Bankruptcy and winding up petitions
- Statutory demands
- Court orders
- Family proceedings
- Common law notices
5. Use all public records
Whilst private investigators have no right to access confidential records such as bank statements, we can utilize all public records in order to locate people and to run background checks, including criminal record checks and checking court records. We can also prepare due diligence and pre-sue reports for our clients.
Public records are especially useful when it comes to locating people, and finding a person in the UK could be useful in many different cases… Perhaps you need our help to track down an old schoolfriend or former romance; other times we can help to locate debtors, such as property tenants who might accrue unpaid rent before disappearing. We can also help to find the heirs to estates in some cases, and everything else in-between.
If you need to locate someone, then we would suggest compiling all information which you hold on the person and forwarding it to one of our experienced private investigators. If we are able to help then we will be happy to provide you with a free, no pressure quote.
6. Conduct social media research
Private investigators are often tasked with running background checks on individuals and businesses. As many people choose to share in-depth information about themselves and their lives through social media, gathering data from these platforms is a logical step during many different investigations.
Private investigators can aim to find a subject’s persistent digital identity, which can lead to information dating back many years in some cases.
Many detectives will also take the step of creating numerous different fake profiles across the main social media platforms. By creating an arsenal of fake accounts, detectives can send friends requests to the subjects, and when accepted, view “friends only” content which has been published on their social media pages. The goal is usually to have accounts across many different genders/ages, and to select the most appropriate account to use in each case. For example, men tend to be more likely to accept friends requests which come from young and attractive females.
7. Perform covert surveillance
Surveillance is typically the bread-and-butter service for most detective agencies working in the UK. Put simply, as part of our covert surveillance service we will monitor a subject, follow them around, and collect photos/videos; all whilst remaining hidden and without the subject of the investigation ever finding out that they have been placed under surveillance.
Covert surveillance can prove useful under many different circumstances. From investigating a cheating partner, to checking claims that a person is injured or handicapped after an accident. Surveillance is also used as part of our due diligence service, to gather proof of cohabitation, and for many other different reasons.
PrivateInvestigators-UK
We are a leading detective agency based in the UK, and cover all areas of Great Britain. Please feel free to read our homepage for more information about us, our services, and our pricing.
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How Much Does it Cost to Catch a Cheating Partner?
May 21, 2021 - Reading time: 6 minutes
One of the most common questions we receive regarding infidelity (cheating partner) investigations is “How much will it cost to catch my partner cheating on me?”, or “How much surveillance will I need in order to catch my partner cheating?”.
Predicting the total cost to catch your partner cheating on you can be very difficult. Some cases are resolved quickly, whilst others may run for several days, weeks, or even months. However, fees for the average infidelity case tends to total around £1,000 before incriminating evidence is gathered.
The difficulty in estimating a total price for an investigation is due to the many different variables at play. Everyone has different lifestyles, which present different opportunities to catch them committing acts of infidelity.
Believe it or not, we have handled infidelity cases where strong evidence has been gathered by us within the first hour of starting surveillance. However, such cases are rare and it is more typical for these assignments to run for 2-3 days, or longer.
Often is the case that once our client has received photos/video of their partner cheating on them, that they will ask us to continue to collect more evidence for them. Continuing surveillance after infidelity has been documented can help to create a water tight case for divorce proceedings; other times our clients are simply curious about the true activities of their partner and how often they are meeting up with their lover and cheating on them.
Unsurprisingly, many of our clients enjoy the “gotcha” moment where they have caught their partner cheating on them. In that moment, months or even years of lying come to a head, and the balance of power is shifted in favour of our client. Continuing surveillance after infidelity has been detected can help to prolong the satisfaction for many of our clients, and provide a better understanding as to their partner’s secret activities with their lovers.
Most of the time when our clients suspect their partners of committing acts of infidelity, they do not harbour these suspicions without good reason, and there is something to be said for this type of intuition. And as the old adage goes “there is no smoke without fire”.
Saving money during an infidelity investigation can be achieved through carefully selecting the time/place to begin surveillance. We will typically listen to the concerns of our client in order to understand their partner’s lifestyle, and our best opportunity to catch them committing acts of infidelity.
The amount of time required in order to capture photos/video of a person cheating on their partner will vary depending upon several different factors. For example, if your partner meets their lover in private, and is seldom seen out with them in public, then it will likely take us longer in order to catch and photograph them. We have seen many such cases where the person being surveilled is very conscious of being caught out by their partner, and will take precautions to avoid them being seen. Such cases usually require more forethought and surveillance time.
Investigation cost verses benefit
Before deciding on the amount of money that you should budget for a private investigator, it would be wise to consider the cost verses benefit. In infidelity cases, for example, a common consideration is how the evidence may impact on divorce proceedings. If either yourself or your partner have a relatively high net worth, then suffice it to say that you may feel justified in collecting a substantial amount of evidence which proves their infidelity beyond any doubt.
Even if divorce is not an immediate consideration, it may be something which you contemplate later on, depending on how your relationship fares after the infidelity has come to light and you have confronted your partner. We would suggest preparing for this potential eventuality by collecting as much evidence as possible.
If you decide to confront your partner with the results of an investigation which has been carried out on their infidelity, then performing another investigation later on down the road will likely prove a lot more difficult, as your partner will now be aware of the potential for them to be monitored by private investigators.
We suggest getting it right the first time by collecting as much evidence as possible. You will then have the ability to retain our evidence in such case that it is required in future divorce proceedings.
Of course, divorce is not the only occasion where your relationship might cost money. The amount of cash spent on shared living expenses and gifts for your partner can really add up over time, and deciding to end your relationship will obviously remove these costs. Many relationships also entail more serious financial commitments, such as shared mortgages, businesses, or other financial arrangements.
How private investigators catch cheating partners
We can employ a number of different techniques in order to catch cheating partners and keep the cost of the investigation down. For example, in many cases we can save our clients’ money through the use of GPS tracking devices.
By recording the movements of your partner with a tracking device, we can check for patterns of behaviour and begin surveillance at times/locations where they are most likely to be committing acts of infidelity.
In some cases, we can also use our decoy service, which entails sending an agent to approach your partner and establish whether they are interested in potentially forming another relationship.
However, the most common tactic used to catch a cheating partner would be our surveillance service, which involves following the subject and documenting their activity by taking photos/video.
Private Investigators UK
PrivateInvestigators-UK are a leading detective agency covering all areas of the United Kingdom. If you would like to learn more about us, our services, and fees, then please click through to our website or feel free to get in touch with one of our experienced team members for help and advice on your situation. We offer free quotes for all work and will be glad to assist you wherever possible.
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