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Before paying a family-law investigator, you should know who you are hiring, which question they will investigate, what the work may cost and what you will receive. Ask for verifiable Washington licensing information and a written agreement. Clear answers at this stage help you judge whether the proposed work fits your family’s needs.
Use these checks during your first conversation and when you read the agreement. A useful answer explains how the investigator would handle your assignment, including its limits and costs.
| Check | Why It Matters | Red Flag |
|---|---|---|
| License and business identity | Match the investigator’s and agency’s licensing information to the business named in the agreement and payment instructions. | The investigator avoids basic identity questions or cannot point you to a clear license or business presence. |
| Family-law case fit | Ask about work similar to yours: documenting parenting exchanges, checking support-related employment facts, locating someone for service or building a dated chronology. | They talk only about catching people and never about orders, reporting, or lawful family-law scope. |
| Written scope and budget controls | Look for the question to be investigated, rates, estimated hours, separate costs and the approvals needed if more work becomes necessary. | You are asked to send money before the work, costs, and approval rules are defined in writing. |
| Reporting and deliverables | Confirm whether you will receive dated observations, source records, photos or video references, and a written report, as relevant to the assignment. | The answer to what do I get stays vague or keeps changing. |
| Legal-boundary discipline | Ask how the investigator will handle recording consent, private accounts and protected records involved in your particular task. | They promise private messages, hidden records, or easy access to information that should raise legal questions. |
Try stating the question in one sentence: who handles school pickup, whether a reported address is in use, which exchanges were missed, or where someone can be served. Ask what research or observation could answer it and what information you need to supply.
The agreement should identify the work, costs and approval process. Ask how updates will arrive, which media and reports are included in the agreed deliverable, and when they are expected. Resolve unclear terms before paying.
Ask who will give instructions, authorize additional work and receive reports when your attorney is involved. The investigator should explain how records and questions will reach counsel without making you repeat the same material to several people.
Ask what the investigator can deliver even if the evidence does not support your concern. A dated account of what was checked, observed and left unresolved can help you and your attorney decide what to do next.
Pause if someone guarantees proof, promises instant access to private records or will not explain the lawful basis for obtaining them. Ask what source and method they mean before agreeing to the work.
The discussion should cover relevant orders, hearing dates and how findings will be documented. If you need an exchange timeline and only hear about following people, ask how that proposed work would answer your question.
Request separate figures for service, preparation, travel and reports, plus any expenses or surcharges. At FPI, Lite service is $150 per hour and Heavy is $300 per hour per investigator; preparation and our reports are $150 per hour, and Tacoma office round-trip travel is $2.50 per minute. Confirm the complete billing terms in the agreement.
A hearing date may require a quick decision, but you still need a defined task and an agreed budget. Ask what can realistically be completed before the deadline and what would arrive later.
No. Use the website to identify candidates, then verify licensing and business identity yourself. Read the agreement and ask for a clear explanation of the assignment and deliverables before paying.
Verify the business and license independently before sharing sensitive case information or sending money. A direct message should lead to an identifiable business and written engagement process, not replace them.
Relevant family-law experience is valuable. Ask how the investigator documents events over time, respects court orders and prepares material for attorney review. Those answers tell you more about fit than a general claim of investigative experience.
No. An investigator can commit to agreed work and accurate reporting, but cannot control what the evidence shows or how the court decides. A promise to win your case is a reason to reconsider the hire.
Bring the current orders, important dates and the fact you need to establish to a first conversation. We can discuss whether investigation would add something useful before you commit to paid work.