Private investigator

A private investigator, also known as a private detective, inquiry agent, or private eye, is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to carry out investigative law services. The term "private investigator" (often abbreviated to "PI" and informally called a "private eye") refers to this type of person. In both civil and criminal matters, lawyers often use the services of private investigators.

In situations involving capital punishment and other types of criminal defence, defence lawyers often use the assistance of private investigators and detectives who have unique academic training and hands-on experience. Others are insurance investigators whose job it is to look into claims that seem fishy. Several people hired private investigators in the years leading up to the legalisation of divorce for the sole purpose of finding proof of adultery or other inappropriate behaviour committed inside the context of a marriage. According to press reports, despite the fact that such evidence is not required by the law in many different jurisdictions, private investigators continue to find that gathering evidence of adultery or other "bad behaviour" on the part of spouses or partners is one of their most profitable undertakings. This is because the issues that are currently being fought over involve child custody, alimony, or marital property disputes.

An investor who is contemplating making an investment with an investment group, fund manager, or any other high-risk company or investment endeavour may also hire private detectives to undertake due research on their behalf. The potential investor may be able to avoid becoming a victim of fraud as a result of this information. An authorised and competent private investigator could be able to disclose that the investment is high-risk and/or that the investor has a questionable past. The practise of conducting thorough investigations is known as investigative due diligence, and it is gaining popularity in the 21st century as a result of public disclosures of large-scale Ponzi schemes and other fraudulent investment vehicles.