Private investigations often begin with uncertainty rather than proof. A change in behaviour, conflicting explanation, unexplained absence, unfamiliar identity, disputed living arrangement or repeated unwanted contact may leave you needing reliable facts before deciding what to do next.
We do not assume the answer before the investigation begins. We identify the factual question, explain what can realistically and lawfully be established, and use the least intrusive effective approach.
Relationship Concerns
Infidelity, unexplained activity, conflicting accounts & matrimonial mattersDiscreet Surveillance
Mobile and static observation where it is justified and proportionateIdentity & Online Checks
Online dating, catfish concerns, aliases, photographs & background verificationResidency & Private Households
Cohabitation, living arrangements, family office & household enquiriesConfidential Private Investigation Enquiry
You do not need to diagnose the situation or choose a service before speaking to us. Start with what has changed, what does not make sense, what you already know and the question you need answered.
We will consider the circumstances, explain what is realistically investigable, identify important legal or practical limitations and recommend the most proportionate next step before any work begins.
Private Investigation & Personal Intelligence
The most difficult private enquiries are often the ones where you have enough information to know something may be wrong, but not enough to understand what it means.
A partner may be giving explanations that do not fit the facts. A claimed living arrangement may be disputed. Someone met online may not be who they say they are. Repeated unwanted contact may need to be documented. A family office may need to understand the background of somebody entering a private household. In each case, the objective is different.
Our job is to identify the question that genuinely matters and then work backwards from it. Some matters can be answered through tracing, public-record research or online verification. Others need discreet observation over a defined period. Complex matters can combine several investigative disciplines.
We do not treat a private investigation as an opportunity to gather as much personal information as possible. We focus on what is relevant to the concern and useful to the decision you need to make.
Typical Private Enquiries
Clients may need to know whether an explanation is accurate, whether a partner is where they say they are, whether someone is living at a particular address, whether an online identity is genuine, whether repeated conduct forms a pattern, or whether a person connected to a household or family office has a relevant background that should be understood.
We will tell you when an investigation is unlikely to answer the question. The aim is clarity, not activity. If a focused check can resolve the issue, we will not recommend a more intrusive or expensive method simply because it is available.
Relationships, Family & Private Clients
We can provide a focused answer to one question or combine several investigation methods where the circumstances require a wider factual picture.
Discreet investigation where unexplained absences, changing behaviour, conflicting accounts or suspected infidelity have left you needing reliable facts rather than assumption.
Discreet mobile and static surveillance used where observing movements or activity may help answer a defined relationship or matrimonial question.
Enquiries where a legitimate personal, financial or legal question depends on whether someone lives at, regularly stays at or is genuinely connected to a particular address.
Checks where somebody met online may be using false photographs, aliases, invented employment, fabricated personal history or multiple profiles.
Support where repeated unwanted contact, following, online conduct, threats or harassment needs to be recorded and relevant evidence preserved clearly.
Discreet background and intelligence work involving household staff, associates, private relationships and other concerns affecting a family, principal or private household.
Relationship & Infidelity Investigations
Relationship concerns are emotionally difficult precisely because suspicion rarely arrives with complete evidence.
Someone may be absent at unusual times, explanations may change, routines may stop making sense or information may emerge that appears inconsistent with what you have been told. We do not begin by assuming infidelity or deception. We begin with the specific facts you need to test.
Depending on the question, that may involve verifying a stated location, establishing whether a particular meeting or pattern of activity occurs, checking an online identity or background, or using surveillance during a defined period where observation is justified.
| Concern | Question we may help answer | Possible investigation |
|---|---|---|
| Unexplained absences | Does the person's observed activity match the explanation being given? | Focused surveillance during relevant periods, activity logs and imagery where appropriate. |
| Conflicting accounts | Can independent information verify or contradict a material claim? | Timeline review, location/address research, open-source checks and targeted verification. |
| Unknown person or relationship | Who is the person and is the claimed background accurate? | Identity and background checks, public-record and online research. |
| Online relationship concern | Is the profile genuine and do the photographs, name, employment and history connect to a real person? | Digital identity, image, username, alias and background research. |
| Disputed living arrangement | Is someone genuinely residing at or regularly staying at a particular address? | Address research, lawful enquiries and proportionate observation where justified. |
If the evidence supports your concern, we report that. If it does not, we report that too. A private investigation is most useful when it gives you a reliable basis for a decision rather than reinforcing an assumption you already hold.
Matrimonial & Relationship Surveillance
Where surveillance is appropriate, we agree in advance what you are trying to establish and when observation is most likely to be useful.
That may involve a particular evening, workday, journey, meeting, address or recurring pattern. We consider the known routine, likely movements, transport, London geography and the practical possibility of maintaining observation without compromising the investigation.
Our investigators record what they actually observe. We do not embellish, infer motives from incomplete behaviour or present a photograph as proving something it does not. Where imagery is obtained appropriately, it sits alongside contemporaneous notes and context.
Cohabitation, Residency & Living Arrangements
Residency questions can arise in family, financial and legal matters, but a private investigator should not simply assume that an address connection proves somebody lives there.
We look at the question in context: what is being claimed, why the answer matters, what information already exists and what evidence could reasonably support or challenge that claim. A current address trace, public-record research, observed patterns of presence or other lawful information may each contribute to the picture.
Where the enquiry forms part of matrimonial or legal proceedings, we recommend coordinating with your solicitor so the investigation addresses the factual issue that is actually relevant to the case.
Research to establish a likely current address or whether available records are consistent with a claimed residence.
Where justified, proportionate observation may help establish whether regular overnight or day-to-day presence is consistent with a claimed living arrangement.
Findings can be organised clearly for discussion with your solicitor, with limitations and the basis of each conclusion set out.
Online Dating, Catfish & Identity Verification
Online relationships can become significant before the people involved have ever met or independently verified basic details about one another.
We can investigate inconsistencies in names, photographs, aliases, employment claims, locations, businesses, usernames and publicly available profile information. The aim is not to produce every piece of information that exists about a person; it is to test the claims that matter to your decision.
Photographs may appear elsewhere under another name. Employment or business claims may be inconsistent with public records. Usernames may connect to other profiles. A supposed address or lifestyle may not align with independently available evidence.
Our online and digital investigation capability can be combined with tracing and background checks where an online identity needs to be connected to a real-world person or address.
Common Red Flags
Harassment, Stalking & Threat Evidence
Repeated unwanted contact can be difficult to explain when each individual incident appears small in isolation.
We can help organise relevant information into a clearer factual chronology and, where appropriate, investigate public online identities, preserve accessible digital material, establish addresses or identities, or undertake other lawful enquiries connected to the pattern.
Where conduct is happening online, our digital investigation work can help preserve public posts, profiles, usernames or connected information before it changes. Where a person needs to be identified or located, our tracing capability may assist.
If there is immediate danger, violence, a crime in progress or an urgent safeguarding concern, contact the police or appropriate emergency service rather than waiting for a private investigation.
We do not encourage confrontation, retaliation or conduct that could increase risk. The purpose is to establish and preserve relevant facts.
Family Office & Private Household Enquiries
Private households and family offices can involve staff, contractors, advisers, drivers, carers, associates and other people with access to homes, routines, property or sensitive information.
Relevant background, employment, identity, company and public-source checks where a legitimate concern or appointment decision requires greater confidence.
Research into connected businesses, associates and publicly identifiable relationships where those connections may be relevant to the principal or household.
Focused investigation of a defined concern while limiting distribution of information and avoiding unnecessary intrusion into unrelated private matters.
Supporting Investigation Capabilities
We combine the right disciplines around the question rather than expecting every private enquiry to fit one method.
Discreet mobile and static observation where activity or movements need to be independently verified.
Identity, username, profile, photograph and public digital research where the concern has an online dimension.
Locate people and current addresses, verify identities and research relevant personal or professional background.
Clear organisation of observations, chronology, source material, imagery and relevant limitations where findings may need professional review.
Discreet background and intelligence support where a principal, family or private household needs a concern examined carefully.
Tell us what is happening and the question you need answered. We will explain what can realistically be investigated.
How We Work
We decide what would actually help you make a decision before recommending any investigative method.
Explain the concern, what has changed, what you already know and the question you need answered. Include any important dates, routines, locations or immediate risks.
We separate what is known from assumption and decide which facts could realistically change your understanding or next decision.
We explain the proposed research, tracing, surveillance or digital work, the likely cost, reporting arrangements and important limitations before anything begins.
Investigators carry out the agreed work, corroborate important findings where possible and keep sensitive information controlled throughout the instruction.
You receive findings with the relevant chronology, observations, supporting material and limitations. We do not exaggerate what the evidence proves.
The findings may provide reassurance, confirm a concern, support a solicitor discussion or simply give you a clearer basis for a personal decision.
Lawful & Proportionate Private Investigation
Private investigation has clear legal and professional boundaries. We will not cross them simply because a client wants certainty quickly.
We do not hack phones, email, social accounts or messaging services. We do not obtain passwords, intercept calls or messages, unlawfully access banking, medical or other protected records, impersonate police or public officials, install unlawful tracking devices, harass somebody or trespass to obtain information.
Where a client lawfully holds messages, photographs, documents or account information, we can consider whether that material is relevant and what further lawful enquiries may help. Where a question requires disclosure powers available only through a solicitor, court, police force or statutory body, we will explain that limitation.
A private investigation is not a substitute for emergency help. If there is immediate danger, violence, a crime in progress, a serious threat or urgent safeguarding concern, contact the police or appropriate emergency/statutory service. Where an investigation can safely support a wider matter, we can discuss that separately.
London Specialist
Our operational focus is London, with our office at Salisbury House, 29 Finsbury Circus in the City of London.
Private investigations in London can move rapidly between homes, workplaces, hotels, restaurants, transport hubs, entertainment districts and addresses across multiple boroughs. Surveillance and other operational work must account for dense traffic, Underground travel, pedestrian movement, restricted access, residential security and the practical difficulty of maintaining discreet observation in very different environments.
We work across the City of London, Westminster, Mayfair, Canary Wharf, Kensington, Chelsea, Hampstead, Highgate, Islington, Shoreditch, Battersea, Clapham, Wimbledon, Richmond and the wider Greater London area.
Where a London-led private matter has relevant people, records or digital connections elsewhere in the UK, we can discuss what research or support is appropriate while remaining a London specialist.
Private Investigation FAQs
Private enquiries are rarely identical. These answers explain how we approach the questions clients most commonly raise before speaking to us.
For us, a private investigation is a lawful, proportionate enquiry designed to establish facts relevant to a genuine personal, family or legal concern. The work may involve research, tracing, digital investigation, surveillance or a combination, depending on the question.
Yes. Where you have a genuine relationship concern, we can discuss what you need to establish and whether focused surveillance, identity/background research or another method is likely to provide a useful answer. We do not assume infidelity before the evidence exists.
We agree the relevant dates, likely movements and factual objective before surveillance begins. Investigators then record what is observed during the agreed period, using contemporaneous notes and imagery where appropriate. The aim is to document activity, not interpret motives.
Where there is a legitimate reason and surveillance is lawful and proportionate, observation may help establish movements or activity during an agreed period. We will explain what is realistic before recommending surveillance.
We can report observable facts and relevant verified information. Whether those facts amount to infidelity is ultimately a personal interpretation and can depend on context. We avoid claiming that evidence proves more than it actually does.
Where there is a legitimate personal, financial or legal reason, we can discuss cohabitation or residency enquiries. Evidence may involve address research and, where justified, patterns of observed presence. No single observation necessarily proves residence, so context matters.
Our tracing and background investigation service can assist with legitimate address and person tracing. The information available and the appropriate method depend on the reason for the trace and what starting information exists.
Yes. We can examine claims such as name, photographs, employment, business interests, location, usernames and public online history to help determine whether the identity appears genuine and internally consistent.
Sometimes. Public photographs, usernames, aliases, connected profiles and background information can reveal strong links or inconsistencies. However, not every anonymous account can be conclusively identified without information held by platforms or service providers.
No. We do not hack accounts, obtain passwords, bypass security controls or access private communications without authority. We can review material you lawfully hold and investigate relevant public information connected to it.
We can help document relevant patterns, preserve public online material, research identities or addresses and carry out other lawful enquiries where appropriate. If there is immediate danger or a serious threat, contact the police or emergency services first.
Discretion is central to our work, but no investigator can honestly guarantee that every enquiry or operational step will remain completely undetected in every circumstance. We plan carefully and avoid unnecessary contact or intrusion.
Yes, findings may be useful for solicitor review depending on the matter. If the investigation is connected to existing or anticipated proceedings, we recommend involving your solicitor early so the factual questions and reporting format support the wider legal strategy.
Yes. We can take instructions directly from private clients or professional advisers where tracing, factual verification, surveillance, residency enquiries or evidential reporting is required.
Yes. We can undertake discreet background and intelligence enquiries involving household staff, associates, private relationships and other matters affecting a principal, family or private household, where there is a legitimate purpose.
We treat private enquiries as sensitive by default. We agree who may receive updates, how communication should take place and how findings will be delivered. Clients should also consider their own device, email and household privacy when choosing how to communicate with us.
Cost depends on the question, time required, investigator numbers, travel, surveillance, research and reporting. We explain the proposed work and likely cost before starting. Our private investigator cost guide explains the main factors in more detail.
That depends on availability and the work required. If there is a particular date, planned meeting, trip, court deadline or other time-sensitive event, tell us at first contact so we can assess what is realistic.
Start with the concern, the question you need answered, names and basic identifying information, relevant dates and locations, and any material you already hold lawfully. Do not send passwords or large volumes of intimate information before we have confirmed what is necessary.
Yes. Some questions cannot be answered reliably or lawfully by a private investigator. We would rather explain that at the beginning than carry out work that is unlikely to give you a useful answer.
We are a London specialist. Our operational focus is Central and Greater London. Where a London-led private matter has relevant records, people or digital connections elsewhere, we can discuss what support is appropriate.
Confidential Private Investigation Enquiry
Tell us what has changed, what concerns you and the question you need answered. We will explain what may realistically be established, what we recommend, any important limitations and the likely cost before work begins.
Central London Investigation Office
Private, relationship, family and legal investigation support across Central and Greater London, with consultations by prior arrangement from our City of London office.
You do not need to choose the method. Explain the concern and the question you need answered. We will identify whether the matter is best approached through research, tracing, surveillance, online investigation or a combination.
Send a confidential enquiry or call us directly.
City of London