Private Detective

A Private Detective is usually a person who undertakes investigatory law services.

Many private detectives/investigators with special academic and practical experience also work with defense attorneys on execution and other criminal defense cases. Many insurance investigators who investigate suspicious claims, before the arrival of no-fault divorce, many private investigators sought evidence of adultery or other conduct within marriage to determine grounds for a divorce. Despite the lack of legal necessity for such evidence in many jurisdictions, according to press reports, collecting evidence of spouses' and partners' adultery or other bad behavior is still one of their most profitable undertakings, because the stakes being fought over now are child custody, alimony, or marital property disputes.

Private investigators also can perform due diligence for an investor considering investing with an investment group, fund manager, or other high-risk business or investment venture. This could help the potential investor avoid being the victim of a fraud or Ponzi scheme. A licensed and experienced investigator could reveal the investment is risky and/or the investor features a suspicious background. This is called investigative due diligence and is becoming more prevalent in the 21st century with the public reports of large-scale Ponzi schemes and fraudulent investment vehicles such as Madoff, Stanford, Petters, Rothstein, and therefore the many others reported by the Securities and Exchange Commission alongside other enforcement agencies.