Investigations for Attorneys and Law Firms

Lawyers argue facts; investigators find them. Pairing the two lets counsel spend billable time on strategy while a licensed investigator handles records research, canvassing, interviews and field observation.

Why do attorneys and law firms hire a private investigator?

Florida defines private investigation to include gathering information on the "credibility of witnesses or other persons" and "securing evidence" for use in trials and arbitration (s. 493.6101, F.S.). In practice, firms bring us in when:

• Discovery has gaps. Depositions only reach people you can find. An investigator locates the missing witness and tests answers against independent records.
• Time is short. Scenes change, footage is overwritten and witnesses scatter. Early field work preserves what would be lost.
• Objectivity matters. We report what the records show, including facts that cut against your theory, so there are no surprises at trial.
• The facts are in the field. What a claimant does on a Saturday, or whether a defendant still lives at an address, is confirmed by someone who goes and looks.

What can we deliver for your case?

Each card links to the full method, legal limits and deliverables.

Which practice areas do we support?

Criminal defense

An independent look at the State's evidence: re-interviewing witnesses, finding people law enforcement did not reach, and testing an alibi against records and public footage.

Personal injury, negligent security and premises liability

Early scene documentation, canvasses for witnesses and cameras, and background on property owners and security vendors. Our guide for personal injury attorneys in Florida covers this work in depth.

Insurance defense and claims

Activity checks comparing a claimant's conduct with reported limitations, plus prior-claims and litigation history. See also insurance claim investigations and fraud investigations.

Civil, commercial and collections

Corporate affiliations traced through Sunbiz filings, asset research before suit or after judgment, and evidence of counterfeit goods in intellectual property matters.

Family law

Evidence on time-sharing, a child's welfare or undisclosed income. See child custody investigations.

How does an engagement with a law firm work?

1. Intake and scope. Counsel explains the issue, deadlines and what the evidence must prove. We say plainly if records alone will answer it, or if it cannot be answered lawfully.
2. Research before fieldwork. Addresses, vehicles, corporate records and court dockets are confirmed first, often through the Miami-Dade Clerk's records portal and the clerks of other counties, so field hours are spent well.
3. A written plan. Tasks and staffing are agreed with the attorney, who directs the work.
4. Field work with updates. Our case management software keeps counsel informed as the work progresses, so the scope can be expanded, narrowed or stopped.
5. Report, exhibits and testimony. Findings are delivered in a form counsel can attach to a motion or disclose, and the investigator is available to testify.

What a Florida PI can and can't legally do for your case

Private investigators are licensed under Chapter 493, Florida Statutes by the FDACS Division of Licensing. A license is not a subpoena and confers no police authority.

Our guide to Florida Statute 493 covers these limits in more detail.

Will our evidence hold up under the Florida Evidence Code?

We document evidence with the Evidence Code's foundation requirements in mind:

• Relevance. Evidence tending to prove or disprove a material fact is generally admissible (s. 90.401, F.S., s. 90.402, F.S.) unless unfair prejudice or confusion substantially outweighs its value (s. 90.403, F.S.), so our reports describe conduct neutrally.
• Authentication. Authentication is "a condition precedent" to admissibility (s. 90.901, F.S.). The investigator who captured a photo, video or web page can testify to when, where and how it was made, backed by the log and the original file.
• Hearsay. An out-of-court statement offered for its truth is inadmissible unless an exception applies (s. 90.801(1), s. 90.802, F.S.). A party's own statement, however, is admissible against that party (s. 90.803(18), F.S.). We record exactly who said what, and when.
• Exclusion of illegal interceptions. Under s. 934.06, F.S., no part of an unlawfully intercepted wire or oral communication, and no evidence derived from it, may be received in any trial or hearing.

How do we preserve chain of custody and report findings?

• Original media, unaltered. Photos, video and screen captures are kept in original form, with any review clips produced separately.
• A running log. Each action is recorded with its date, time, place, the people present and the method used, including searches that found nothing.
• Documented handling. Who held each item, and when it passed to counsel, is written down.
• Sourced reports. Each records finding cites its source, so counsel can obtain certified copies or subpoena it.
• Interview summaries, flagged where they conflict with other witnesses or documents.

Can our investigator testify for you?

Yes. Most investigator testimony is fact-witness testimony about what the investigator personally perceived (s. 90.701, F.S.); where specialized knowledge is offered as opinion, s. 90.702, F.S. requires sufficient facts, reliable methods and their reliable application. We prepare by reviewing our log and exhibits with counsel, and we testify to what the evidence shows.

Miami-Dade civil, family and criminal cases are heard in the 11th Judicial Circuit. Civil and probate matters now sit at the Osvaldo N. Soto Miami-Dade Justice Center, 20 N.W. 1st Avenue, which replaced the historic courthouse at 73 W. Flagler Street (courthouse list). We also work matters pending in the 17th Circuit (Broward) and 15th Circuit (Palm Beach).

What affects the timeline and cost of attorney work?

We scope every assignment with counsel and do not publish rates. The factors that drive time are:

• The question. Confirming an address is narrower than tracing assets across several states.
• Research versus field time. Interviews, canvasses and surveillance add field hours to records work.
• Staffing. Mobile surveillance or simultaneous interviews may need more than one investigator.
• Geography. Witnesses outside South Florida mean travel or work with investigators in other jurisdictions.
• Deliverables. A court-ready report with exhibits, deposition preparation and trial testimony each add scope.
• Deadlines. Compressed trial dates may mean investigators working in parallel.

Which law firms have worked with us?

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

Nine attorneys from South Florida firms have recorded video testimonials about our work, including lawyers at Morgan & Morgan, Cornish Hernandez Gonzalez PLLC, Asilia Law, Sasieta Law, Florida Justice League, Azadi Law, Scheer Legal and Goldberg & Rosen. Watch the attorney testimonials, or meet our team.

For more on how investigators fit into litigation, read our Florida guide for attorneys and how investigators support Miami litigation.

Related services

Available across Florida

Attorney assignments are managed from our office at 4000 Ponce de Leon Blvd, Suite 470, Coral Gables, and our investigators go where the witnesses and evidence are.