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How Much Does A Private Investigator Cost

Author: Robert Smith
by Robert Smith
Posted: Jun 13, 2014
private investigator

What is a Private Investigator?

A private investigator is an individual who can be hired by businesses or people who need law services but either do not or cannot go to the police with their problems. These people also work on a regular basis with defense attorneys and insurance companies. In the past, prior to no-fault divorce laws, private investigators were utilized by individuals seeking to find proof of evidence that would constitute grounds for divorce. This was one of the most profitable things that private investigators did. In addition to insurance and individuals, private investigators are sometimes hired by police departments in order to help bolster their investigative sources.

Private investigators are also used at times to perform due diligence on a business for investors who may have money involved in an investment. This is especially true with prospective investors who are trying to avoid becoming the victim of some sort of Ponzi scheme or other type of fraud. These investigators work to unearth information about the investment in order to discover whether or not there is a unneeded risk involved. These types of investigations are becoming more and more common due to the increasing complexity of business in the modern world.

What is the Price Range?

Private investigators charge a wide range of prices for their services. They can have either flat fees, hourly fees, or a combination of the two. Some of the types of services that may cost a flat fee could include bug sweeps (of homes or cars) for electronic devices, GPS monitoring of targets, criminal record searches, vehicle registration searches, and the identification of a cell phone number. Typically these services wind up being very basic. They rely on background checks, basic research, and some specialized equipment like GPS units.

Most investigators will also charge an hourly fee that may be variable depending on the type of work that is being done. The difficulty of the investigation at hand, the location of the work, and whether the investigator will need assistance from others also helps to determine the hourly rate. Usually, the hourly fees will range from between forty and one hundred dollars an hour. Generally the price winds up being somewhere around fifty five dollars an hour. Mileage is typically added to the hourly rate, depending on how much driving is necessary during the investigation.

One other possibility is keeping the investigator on retainer. This option varies in price and depends on a huge number of factors.

Recommendations

Investigatory services usually end up costing a lot of money. Basic research and background checks are flat fees in most cases and are not expensive. Hiring an actual investigator, on the other hand, can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars over the course of a single week. The services that a private investigator provides are usually well worth the money. In insurance and business cases, a good investigation can save a person a lot more money than the cost of the case itself.

To learn more about it from local Phoenix based website, please visit - Phoenix Private Investigators.

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Author: Robert Smith
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Robert Smith

Member since: Mar 26, 2014
Published articles: 313

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