# How much does it cost to hire a private investigator? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 9, 2014, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-it-cost-to-hire-a-private-investigator/683278 "2014-03-09T17:14:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-it-cost-to-hire-a-private-investigator/683278/21 "2014-03-12T21:51:35Z")
> [@analogqueen](#): > > Like Lexis/Nexis, et al. Private Investigating for Dummies is actually helpful, lists many of the tips and tricks used by PIs. Can’t help you on prices, though. Is there a link for those sites? ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-it-cost-to-hire-a-private-investigator/683278/22 "2014-03-12T22:01:02Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > **PastTense** is correct that you’d save money and time by doing it yourself over the internet. It seems to me that the “time” portion of your claim here is, by definition, incorrect. Unless the PI is especially slow. Doing it yourself will definitely save you money, but if you hire someone like a PI, then one of the things that your money is paying for is time. Yes, in many cases you’re also paying for special skills or expertise, but time is a key reason that people pay for services. If i thought it would take me three hours of internet searching to find a person, and i knew that a PI would also take about three hours, i might still be willing to pay if that time was worth more to me than the cost. I use the same principle when i pay to get my car washed. I’m a perfectly competent car washer, but i’m willing to exchange money for time and convenience, so i hand over some cash for someone else to do it. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2014, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-it-cost-to-hire-a-private-investigator/683278/23 "2014-03-13T01:36:48Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > It seems to me that the “time” portion of your claim here is, by definition, incorrect. Unless the PI is especially slow. > > Doing it yourself will definitely save you money, but if you hire someone like a PI, then one of the things that your money is paying for is time. Yes, in many cases you’re also paying for special skills or expertise, but time is a key reason that people pay for services. > > If i thought it would take me three hours of internet searching to find a person, and i knew that a PI would also take about three hours, i might still be willing to pay if that time was worth more to me than the cost. I use the same principle when i pay to get my car washed. I’m a perfectly competent car washer, but i’m willing to exchange money for time and convenience, so i hand over some cash for someone else to do it. I agree with you. What I meant in referring to saving time was, you’re likely to get the results more quickly on your own. In your hypothetical scenario, the time it would take you to think of someone you wanted to track down, sign up for Intelius or its ilk, and then run a relevant report would probably be less than an hour (this assumes your target is relatively easy to find, of course). Unless the PI you hire is bored or has some other reason to prioritize your request (see previous references to mysterious, leggy blondes), you’re probably going to wait a day or two to get results. ---
**Author:** ![python](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee7513/32.png) [@python](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/python)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2014, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-it-cost-to-hire-a-private-investigator/683278/24 "2014-10-22T07:37:11Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > I once had the opportunity to talk with a retired PI, and he told me a couple of interesting things: > > 1. Real PIs never carry a gun. > > 2. Any PI who declined divorce work (not uncommon in TV shows) would starve to death. The typical PI does 80-90% divorce work, and 10-20% tracking down bad checks. (Paying with check has become so uncommon in the 25 years since; perhaps the remaining time is done skiptracing through the Internet.) > > 3. Getting photos of a cheating spouse in flagrente is (a) illegal, and (b) unnecessary. What is necessary is to document that Party A met Party B at so-and-so motel, went to a room together, and stayed there for x hours. Wrong! 1. Some Real PI’s carry guns… 2. I rarely do infidelity cases 3. Taking photos of subjects in public is legal. You have no expectation of privacy while in public view. ---
**Author:** ![python](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee7513/32.png) [@python](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/python)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2014, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-it-cost-to-hire-a-private-investigator/683278/25 "2014-10-22T07:42:52Z")
> [@Questioning\_more](#): > > What type of databases do PIs have access to? > Do they have their own databases that mine public ones for changes? IRB Search, TLO, Skip Smasher, Tracers, etc. They are not accessed by the public. ---
**Author:** ![python](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee7513/32.png) [@python](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/python)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2014, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-it-cost-to-hire-a-private-investigator/683278/26 "2014-10-22T07:46:43Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > Last month I was looking through yearbook photos, and came across a former friend who I hadn’t thought about in nearly 20 years. > > Since we shared a certain history together, I tried to look him up on the Internet – but I’ve reached a dead end, since he has an extremely common name, and all of my current friends from back then are no longer in touch with him either. So pretty much, in theory, the only remaining option that I can think of would be to hire a P.I. to track him down, just to discover whatever ultimately happened to him. > > How would I go about hiring one, and how much would the whole thing cost? > > Keep in mind, this is merely a pipe dream, since it’s not that important and I’m laughably broke nowadays – just curious what general ballpark figures would be, and how the process would work. $75 to $100 an hour ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2014, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-it-cost-to-hire-a-private-investigator/683278/27 "2014-10-22T08:47:18Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > How is this proof of anything? Say Parties A and B claim that they wanted to get away from their noisy kids for a night and play Xbox, and they had lots of frequent-flyer miles that were about to expire so why not spend them on a hotel to at least get something out of them? How can you _prove_ that they weren’t just playing games? Sure, it’s suspicious, but last time I checked suspicious behavior!=proof of wrongdoing. > > Boom headshot! Depend on the purpose for which you wish to establish adultery. But you’re not trying to convict them of a crime. You don’t need proof beyond reasonable doubt. If you live in a jurisdiction in which civil matters between separated spouses (like the allocation of property, or an award of maintenance) is going to be affected by the conduct of the parties during the marriage and it’s relevant to show that your spouse was the cheater and you were the saintly victim, you only need to show that on the balance of probabilities - i.e. more probably than not, your spouse was screwing around. And the Xbos-session-on-frequent-flyer-miles story may strike the judge as, on balance, less plausible than the they-were-shagging story. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2014, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-it-cost-to-hire-a-private-investigator/683278/28 "2014-10-22T15:57:42Z")
> [@python](#): > > Wrong! > > 1. Some Real PI’s carry guns… > > 2. I rarely do infidelity cases > > 3. Taking photos of subjects in public is legal. You have no expectation of privacy while in public view. When **Brother Cadfael** said “in flagrente,” he meant “_in flagrante delicto_.” In modern-day English, this is a metaphor that means “during sex.” As most people do not have sex in public, it is generally illegal to take pictures that would constitute actual \*proof \*of infidelity. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2014, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-it-cost-to-hire-a-private-investigator/683278/29 "2014-10-22T17:45:28Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > Why is this necessary in the modern world? > Back in the 1950’s-60’s, the legalities of divorce required one side to formally accuse the other in court. There was an old meme of moving to Nevada for a month or two, to establish residency, and then using the Nevada court system, because it was easier than the courts in most other states. But I’m pretty sure that nobody does this anymore. > > But today, isn’t the legal system based on no-fault divorce , or “irreconcilable differences”? > If a wife screams at her husband in the kitchen that she knows he’s screwing somebody else, does she actually have to prove it in court with a private investigator? This is true in most US states. But not all. e.g. NY state still has fairly primitive laws [http://www.divorcesource.com/ds/newyork/new-york-divorce-laws-706.shtml](http://www.divorcesource.com/ds/newyork/new-york-divorce-laws-706.shtml) As I read it they require proving “cruel and inhuman treatment” or adultery. Even if the two people both don’t want to be married to each other, that’s not grounds for a divorce. There is a long drawn out process of legally-sanctioned separation that can lead to divorce. But adultery is \*\*the \*\*slam-dunk, no further questions your honor, divorce granted, ticket to freedom. So evidence of adultery is valuable stuff, at least in NY. As to why NY state law remains so troglodytic I have no clue. Likewise how many other states may be stuck in the 1920s. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-it-cost-to-hire-a-private-investigator/683278/30 "2014-10-23T01:56:41Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > This is true in most US states. But not all. e.g. NY state still has fairly primitive laws [http://www.divorcesource.com/ds/newyork/new-york-divorce-laws-706.shtml](http://www.divorcesource.com/ds/newyork/new-york-divorce-laws-706.shtml) > > As I read it they require proving “cruel and inhuman treatment” or adultery. Even if the two people both don’t want to be married to each other, that’s not grounds for a divorce. There is a long drawn out process of legally-sanctioned separation that can lead to divorce. > > But adultery is \*\*the \*\*slam-dunk, no further questions your honor, divorce granted, ticket to freedom. So evidence of adultery is valuable stuff, at least in NY. > > As to why NY state law remains so troglodytic I have no clue. Likewise how many other states may be stuck in the 1920s. As I read it, clause for filing 7 is an all-purpose out. > [@](#): > > (7) Irretrievable breakdown in relationship for a [sic] least six months. Yes, NYS used to require proof of adultery but those days have passed. My understanding, as a lifelong New Yorker, is that divorce is essentially automatic after six months but cause for filing 1 allows it to be faster for spouses in danger. IANAL and special circumstances may intrude, but divorce is no longer the issue it used to be. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-it-cost-to-hire-a-private-investigator/683278/31 "2014-10-23T16:38:50Z")
New York adopted a no-fault divorce law in 2010 (though along the lines of what **EM** said, courts generally only required an _assertion_ of wrongful conduct to grant a divorce anyway.) ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-it-cost-to-hire-a-private-investigator/683278/32 "2014-10-23T17:13:14Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > How is this proof of anything? Say Parties A and B claim that they wanted to get away from their noisy kids for a night and play Xbox, and they had lots of frequent-flyer miles that were about to expire so why not spend them on a hotel to at least get something out of them? How can you _prove_ that they weren’t just playing games? Sure, it’s suspicious, but last time I checked suspicious behavior!=proof of wrongdoing. > > Boom headshot! When called to testify in a divorce proceeding they will ask them separately about what they were doing in the hotel and they will most likely screw up their prepared lie. It’s lonely up there on the stand in front of a judge with someones asking you pointed questions. Especially when they have photos and information from the hotel register. You paid in frequent flier miles? Then you must have a record of it. Was the Xbox already in the room? We don’t see you taking any luggage into the hotel on the video taken by the PI. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-it-cost-to-hire-a-private-investigator/683278/33 "2014-10-23T17:36:39Z")
I assume “divorce” is broader than just actual divorce. IOW someone suspects their spouse of cheating but doesn’t want to raise the issue directly, or raised the issue and was strongly denied, and now they want to know for sure. They may or may not get divorced depending on the answer to the question, but that’s not something the PI would be informed about anyway. IOW “80%-90% divorce” really just means “80%-90% infidelity”. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-it-cost-to-hire-a-private-investigator/683278/34 "2014-10-23T19:05:18Z")
The topic has drifted from OP’s question, which was never answered. I’ve never hired a detective, but will take a stab. My source is _The Late Show_ with Lily Tomlin, a 1977 film I enjoyed very much. [QUOTE=Ira Wells, played by Art Carney] I get twenty-five dollars a day, plus expenses… Listen, sweetheart, you’re talking to Ira Wells, not some low-rent gumshoe. I’m the best and I get paid like the best. [/QUOTE] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-it-cost-to-hire-a-private-investigator/683278.md?page=1)