IIIHow to choose an investigator

There is no single European rule for private investigators. Each country decides for itself, and the differences are wide.¹

In Spain a private detective needs a recognised qualification and a licence from the Ministry of the Interior, under the private security law of 2014.² In France an investigator needs an authorisation from CNAPS, the public body that oversees private security.⁴ In Italy an agency needs an authorisation from the local prefecture. In Germany there is no licence as such: an agency registers as a business, and the authorities check that its owner is reliable. In the United Kingdom a law of 2001 made it possible to license investigators, but the scheme has never been brought in.¹³

So a licence number is a good sign where licences exist, and its absence says little where they do not. The questions below tell you more.

Six questions worth asking

Will you give me a written contract? It should name the task, the deadline, the price and what you will receive at the end.

Who will actually work on my case? You should know whether it stays with the agency or is passed to someone else.

How will you keep my information safe? Your name and your story are personal data, and the agency is responsible for them.

What will I receive at the end? A useful result is a written report with dates, places, photographs and documents that a lawyer can work with.

What will you not do? A serious agency answers this without hesitation.

How will we stay in touch? You should know how often you will hear from the investigator, and in what way.

A serious agency answers the question “what will you not do?” without hesitation.

Signs to walk away

Be careful with anyone who promises a result before hearing the details, who offers phone records, passwords or access to someone’s messages, who wants cash without a contract, or who cannot tell you where their office is. Each of these means the work will be either unlawful or never done.

Professional associations are another good sign. In the United Kingdom, for example, the Institute of Professional Investigators keeps a directory of its members and expects them to follow a code of conduct.⁵ Membership does not replace the questions above, but it shows that an agency is willing to be held to a standard.