The Rominger Legal Private Investigator Directory is a resource for lawyers and the public to find professional private investigators and detectives to assist them with investigating, information gathering, intelligence, and due diligence.

As a free resource to the public and private investigators we also have the Private Investigator Forums, where investigators can discuss investigative techniques, surveillance tips, investigator marketing, and all other aspects of their investigations business. Members of the public and people in fields related to investigations can post questions, make comments, and join in the investigation discussions as well. Use of the Private Investigator Forums is free.

Wikipedia says "a private investigator, or PI, is a person who undertakes investigations, usually for a private citizen or some other entity not involved with a government or police organization. They often work for attorneys in civil cases or on behalf of a defense attorney. Many work for insurance companies to resolve claims. "

Generally each state has its own rules for private investigators. Some require license based on tests or experience as a private investigator, and thus many new investigators have previously worked for a private investigations firm. Some states require investigators to follow up with continuing education in investigations and investigator ethics. Others basically allow any adult individual to provide investigative services.

Many investigators specialize in various investigative specialties. Some are domestic investigators, and do infidelity investigations or custody investigations. Others do criminal investigations, usually criminal defense investigations. Many also specialize in due diligence, backgrounds, pre-employment screening, surveillance, or other specialties.

You should carefully pick a private investigator based upon experience, location and investigative capability. Some investigators are better suited to certain tasks than other investigators. References from people who have previously had a matter investigated by the investigator in question are a good source to learn about a particular PI.

The Rominger Legal Private Investigator Directory is a free collection of investigators who provide services in every state, and around the world. The PI directory is free to use, and provides contact information for the investigators and their investigation companies. The PI's listed here are actively seeking investigative and other work on the Internet.

Please use this directory to find a private investigator or private detective to assists you in all your investigative needs. Remember that the more information you can provide to the investigators, the more likely the PI will be able to provide an accurate quote for the investigation or other task at hand.

Private Detectives and Investigators

Taken from the Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition
U.S. Department of Labor  |  Bureau of Labor Statistics  |   Bulletin 2700

Private detectives and investigators assist individuals, businesses, and attorneys by finding and analyzing information. They connect small clues to solve mysteries or to uncover facts about legal, financial, or personal matters. Private detectives and investigators offer many services, including executive, corporate, and celebrity protection; pre-employment verification; and individual background profiles. Some investigate computer crimes, such as identity theft, harassing e-mails, and illegal downloading of copyrighted material. They also provide assistance in criminal and civil liability cases, insurance claims and fraud, child custody and protection cases, missing persons cases, and premarital screening. They are sometimes hired to investigate individuals to prove or disprove infidelity.

Private detectives and investigators have many methods to choose from when determining the facts in a case. Much of their work is done using a computer, recovering deleted e-mails and documents, for example. They may also perform computer database searches or work with someone who does. Computers allow investigators to quickly obtain huge amounts of information such as a subject’s prior arrests, convictions, and civil legal judgments; telephone numbers; motor vehicle registrations; association and club memberships; and even photographs.

Detectives and investigators also perform various other types of surveillance or searches. To verify facts, such as an individual’s income or place of employment, they may make phone calls or visit a subject’s workplace. In other cases, especially those involving missing persons and background checks, investigators interview people to gather as much information as possible about an individual. Sometimes investigators go undercover, pretending to be someone else to get information or to observe a subject inconspicuously.

Most detectives and investigators are trained to perform physical surveillance, which may be high-tech or low-tech. They may observe a site, such as the home of a subject, from an inconspicuous location or a vehicle. Using photographic and video cameras, binoculars, and cell phones, detectives often use surveillance to gather information on an individual; this can be quite time consuming.

The duties of private detectives and investigators depend on the needs of their clients. In cases that involve fraudulent workers’ compensation claims, for example, investigators may carry out long-term covert observation of a person suspected of fraud. If an investigator observes him or her performing an activity that contradicts injuries stated in a worker’s compensation claim, the investigator would take video or still photographs to document the activity and report it to the client.

Detectives and investigators must be mindful of the law when conducting investigations. They keep up with Federal, State, and local legislation, such as privacy laws and other legal issues affecting their work. The legality of certain methods may be unclear, and investigators and detectives must make judgment calls when deciding how to pursue a case. They must also know how to collect evidence properly so that they do not compromise its admissibility in court.

Private detectives and investigators often specialize. Those who focus on intellectual property theft, for example, investigate and document acts of piracy, help clients stop illegal activity, and provide intelligence for prosecution and civil action. Other investigators specialize in developing financial profiles and asset searches. Their reports reflect information gathered through interviews, investigation and surveillance, and research, including review of public documents.

Computer forensic investigators specialize in recovering, analyzing, and presenting data from computers for use in investigations or as evidence. They determine the details of intrusions into computer systems, recover data from encrypted or erased files, and recover e-mails and deleted passwords.

Legal investigators assist in preparing criminal defenses, locating witnesses, serving legal documents, interviewing police and prospective witnesses, and gathering and reviewing evidence. Legal investigators also may collect information on the parties to the litigation, take photographs, testify in court, and assemble evidence and reports for trials. They often work for law firms or lawyers.

Corporate investigators conduct internal and external investigations for corporations. In internal investigations, they may investigate drug use in the workplace, ensure that expense accounts are not abused, or determine whether employees are stealing merchandise or information. External investigations attempt to thwart criminal schemes from outside the corporation, such as fraudulent billing by a supplier.

Financial investigators may be hired to develop confidential financial profiles of individuals or companies that are prospective parties to large financial transactions. These investigators often are certified public accountants (CPAs) who work closely with investment bankers and other accountants. They might also search for assets in order to recover damages awarded by a court in fraud or theft cases.

Essentially, private investigators are people who are paid to gather facts. Unlike police detectives or crime-scene investigators, they usually work for private citizens or businesses rather than for the government. Although they sometimes help solve crimes, they are not law-enforcement officials. Their job is to collect information, not to arrest or prosecute criminals". See: Tracy V. Wilson.  "How Private Investigators Work".  February 28, 2007  http://people.howstuffworks.com/private-investigator.htm  (January 07, 2008)