Why so many questions?
Last week a jury convicted a well-known public figure of harassing two journalists. The court heard that private investigators had been hired to photograph their home addresses.
Whatever your view of the case, every investigator should take this point from it: the job can be lawful while the purpose is not.
Tracing and doorstep enquiries are everyday work for us. They help solicitors serve proceedings, lenders recover debts and businesses find people who owe money. But a good agency always asks why the address is needed before taking a job.
If you instruct investigators, expect these questions:
What’s the legitimate purpose, such as service, enforcement or litigation?
Who will receive the information, and what will they do with it?
Is there anything suggesting the subject could be at risk?
These questions aren’t obstruction. They’re due diligence, and they protect you as much as the subject. A firm that never asks them is one to think twice about.
