How to Hire a Private Investigator in Miami

A polished website is not a credential. What separates a capable investigator from one who merely looks the part usually comes out in a short conversation, if you know which questions to ask.

What should you work out before you call?

You will get a more useful consultation, and a more accurate scope, if you write down:

• The question you need answered. "Is my husband seeing someone on Thursday nights?" is workable. "Find out everything" is not.
• What you will do with the answer. Settling your own mind, handing evidence to a family-law attorney and defending a lawsuit each call for different documentation.
• What you already know. Names, addresses, workplaces, vehicles and plates, recent photos, routines and deadlines such as a hearing date.
• Who else is involved. If an attorney represents you, tell the investigator. Often counsel should direct the work.

Bring relevant documents and screenshots, so no time is spent rebuilding facts you could have supplied.

How do you confirm the investigator is licensed?

Florida licenses investigators statewide through the FDACS Division of Licensing under Chapter 493, so a "city permit" is not a substitute. Agencies must print their license number in print and directory advertising (s. 493.6111, F.S.). Look up both the agency and the individual on the FDACS agency search and individual search. For the full step-by-step process, license classes and what the contract should say, read our statewide guide on how to hire a licensed private investigator in Florida.

Which questions should you ask in the first consultation?

A good consultation feels like the investigator is interviewing you as much as you are interviewing them. These questions show the difference quickly:

1. "How would you approach my case?" Listen for a plan built on your facts, not a generic pitch.
2. "Have you handled matters like mine, and who on your team would work it?" Infidelity surveillance, witness location and due diligence use different skills. Ask who will actually be in the field.
3. "What will I receive at the end?" Ask them to describe the report and whether original files are kept unedited.
4. "If this goes to court, who testifies?" The person who made the observations should be available for deposition or trial.
5. "What won't you do?" A competent investigator names the recording, tracking and trespass rules without hesitation.
6. "How will you keep me updated, and who decides whether to continue?" You should know when you can extend, adjust or stop the work.
7. "How is the work scoped and billed?" Get the billing method, what counts as billable time, how expenses are handled and what happens to an unused retainer, in writing.
8. "How do you protect what I tell you?" Ask how files are stored and how they will contact you without alerting anyone.

What red flags should end the conversation?

Why does bilingual capability matter in a Miami case?

In Miami-Dade, the people and paperwork in a case often do not all speak the same language. A key witness may be more at ease in Spanish, and records may arrive in Spanish. An investigator who needs an interpreter at every step loses nuance and rapport. Ask whether the investigators who will interview witnesses and work in the field speak Spanish themselves, and whether you can hold your own consultation in Spanish if you prefer. Our investigators work in both English and Spanish.

Does the investigator know the Miami-Dade courts?

If your matter could end up before a judge, local court experience matters as much as fieldwork. Miami-Dade cases are heard in the 11th Judicial Circuit, with appeals to the Third District Court of Appeal. A capable investigator should know the local basics:

• The Osvaldo N. Soto Miami-Dade Justice Center at 20 N.W. 1st Avenue opened in November 2025 and replaced the historic courthouse at 73 W. Flagler Street (Miami-Dade County). The Clerk lists circuit and county court, probate and foreclosure among the services there (Miami-Dade Clerk).
• The circuit also sits in branch courthouses, including Coral Gables (3100 Ponce de Leon), Hialeah, Miami Beach, the North Dade and South Dade Justice Centers, and a separate Children's Courthouse (11th Circuit courthouse list).
• Civil, family and probate dockets can be searched through the Miami-Dade Clerk's online case search, and recorded documents through its official records portal.

Ask whether the investigator has testified before and how they prepare for cross-examination.

What a Florida PI can and can't legally do

Florida defines private investigation to include gathering information about a person's "habits, conduct, movements, whereabouts, affiliations, associations" and securing evidence for trials (s. 493.6101, F.S.). The license gives no exemption from privacy law. Use these limits to test the investigator you are interviewing:

For the law in more depth, see Florida Statute 493 explained and is it legal to hire a private investigator in Florida?

What should the finished report look like?

The report is the product you are paying for, so ask to see a sample format. One built for a Florida proceeding usually contains:

• A chronological log of each observation with time, place, vehicles and people present, including periods when nothing happened.
• Time-stamped photographs and video, with the unedited originals preserved and handled securely.
• A factual summary of what was seen, without speculation about what it means.

Evidence must be authenticated before a court will admit it (s. 90.901, F.S.), which is why the investigator's own testimony about how footage was captured matters. Anything obtained by illegally intercepting a communication, and anything derived from it, is excluded (s. 934.06, F.S.).

What does a good engagement look like from start to finish?

1. Confidential consultation. The investigator tells you honestly whether an investigation can answer your question lawfully.
2. Written agreement. Scope, billing, deliverables and confidentiality are set down before work starts. Releasing client information without authorization is grounds for license discipline (s. 493.6118(1)(e), F.S.).
3. Research before fieldwork. Addresses, vehicles and public records are confirmed first.
4. Fieldwork with check-ins. You hear back at agreed points and decide whether to continue.
5. Report, then follow-through. You or your attorney receive the report and media, and the investigator remains available to testify.

What affects the timeline and cost?

We quote each case after the consultation rather than publishing a price list. The main factors are:

• Type of work. A records search is a defined task; surveillance depends on field hours.
• Predictability. A known window takes less time than a subject with no set routine.
• Staffing. Some subjects need more than one investigator or vehicle.
• Travel and timing. Work outside Miami-Dade, nights and weekends add scope.
• Court preparation. Litigation-ready documentation and testimony add time.

For more detail, see how much a private investigator costs in Miami.

How does Miami Private Investigations answer these questions?

Hold us to the same checklist. Our office is at 4000 Ponce de Leon Blvd, Suite 470, Coral Gables, and our investigators work cases across Miami-Dade and the rest of Florida.

• FDACS agency license A1800135
• ★ 4.9 from 88 Google reviews
• Veteran-led team
• English and Spanish

Attorneys from firms such as Morgan & Morgan, Cornish Hernandez Gonzalez, Asilia Law, Goldberg & Rosen and Scheer Legal have recorded video testimonials about working with us; see what attorneys say. You can also meet the team. We will tell you plainly if we think an investigation won't help, and we never guarantee a result.

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Available across Florida

Every case is run from our office at 4000 Ponce de Leon Blvd, Suite 470, Coral Gables, and our investigators travel where the case goes.