Many PI firms charge the hourly rate of a licensed private investigator, but in turn assign your file to an unseasoned rookie.  Because employee turnover is high in the investigative field, be sure you are willing to take the chance that the short-term employee working your file can be located in the event he/she is needed to testify on your behalf in court. If you're paying the hourly rate of a "licensed" investigator, insist that a "licensed" investigator will be working your file.

There are PI firms that claim to be loyal and discreet but may exploit cases for their own promotional purposes such as divulging details of your file on national TV or sensationalizing a case for publication.

Some businesses posing as PI firms are in essence PI broker companies. These companies primarily make a profit by taking your case and re-assigning it to an investigator who is willing to work your file at a substantial fee reduction. These brokers generally find PI’s who lack competent investigative skills.

Ask any potential PI firm to provide a written commitment to using only licensed PI’s on your file.  You should also ask for a copy of the PI’s detective license and liability insurance coverage.  Responsible PI’s will not take issue with providing such information to prospective clients.