Relocation Investigations

A proposed or unexpected move can change a child’s routines and the practical arrangements for parenting time. We check residence claims, move dates and relevant exchange or caregiving activity, giving your attorney a sourced timeline of what has changed.

Book Consultation Back to Investigation Types

A hand writing notes in an open notebook.

What Does This Investigation Cover?

Relocation Investigations

Sometimes the question is whether a move has already happened; sometimes it concerns the claimed effect on daily life. We document relevant addresses, dates, movements and routine changes, and organize notice records you lawfully hold.

Common examples: location verification, pattern-of-movement documentation, and timeline validation tied to custody orders.
Use cases: parent relocation disputes, contested move notices, and parenting-time impact evidence.
What you receive: a relocation chronology linking residence findings, relevant exchanges, routine changes and available notice records to their sources.

View Relocation Evidence Checklist

What Services Support This Investigation?

We focus the assignment on the disputed move or its practical effects, with the court deadline in mind.

Location Services

Check proposed or current residence leads through lawful records and relevant observations of use.

Surveillance Services

Document relevant exchanges, travel and caregiving routines during agreed periods to help explain the practical changes associated with a move.

Social Media Investigation Services

Preserve public posts and authorized communications about the move, including dates and context that help establish the sequence of events.

Process Service

Attempt service at relevant addresses and provide a record of attempts and results. Your attorney confirms the documents, requirements and deadlines.

A hand writing in a notebook beside a laptop.

Washington Law and Court Sources

Parenting-plan and jurisdiction rules may affect a relocation dispute. Ask counsel to identify the applicable notice, objection and court deadlines; investigative work does not extend them.

What Should You Expect From This Process?

Bring the current order, move notice or related messages, known addresses and your attorney’s deadline. We can discuss what can be verified within the available time.

First call: Your initial consultation is free and lasts 30 minutes. We discuss the question, your deadline and whether investigation can help. Additional communication outside the agreed task is $150 per hour, prepaid separately; communication included in the task is not charged twice.
Typical planning window: Most plans are developed within 48 hours of intake once the facts, urgency, and legal posture are clear.
Costs: Lite is $150 per investigator-hour; Heavy is $300 per investigator-hour. Preparation and report writing each cost $150/hour. Round-trip travel from our Tacoma office is $2.50/minute. Other time is billed in whole hours, with partial hours rounded up. Each purchased service hour carries $15 in expense credit for Lite or $30 for Heavy. Credits on hours used for your task cover only that task's expenses; any remainder expires at report delivery. Expenses are charged at cost. Applicable surcharges are separate dollar charges, not deductions from service hours. We confirm the work, schedule and prepaid costs by text and email. See Pricing for unused-time, credit, specialist and other fee terms.
Reporting: We identify when residence use and routine changes were documented, with source references and any unresolved dates. The timeline helps counsel compare the findings with notices and the existing plan.

Frequently Asked Questions About Relocation Investigations

What are you usually trying to learn in a relocation case?

We check the proposed or actual move, residence-use dates, exchange travel and caregiving routines. Lawfully held records about notice and the child’s activities may help corroborate the timeline. Counsel identifies legal deadlines, which continue to apply while we investigate.

How do you decide what kind of work fits a relocation case?

We start with the disputed fact: the address, the move date or a change in exchanges or care. We then identify useful records and observation periods, agree on cost and confirm whether the schedule fits the deadline.

Will I hear from you during my relocation investigation?

Yes. We set update points around the relevant move dates and planned work. If a new address or schedule affects the assignment, we discuss the change and seek approval for additional work.

Need help deciding what to do next?

Tell us whether the move is proposed or has already occurred, what you need checked and when counsel needs the findings.

Book Consultation View Services