Straight answers from licensed Beverly Hills investigators about cost, what is legal in California, and how our cases work.
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Our rate starts at $150 an hour, and most surveillance is planned in days of 8 hours or more. Most cases start with a retainer for 2 to 4 days.
Read more: what a private investigator costs in Beverly Hills →
Yes. Every job has a 6-hour minimum, which covers 4 to 5 hours on site plus travel to the job.
Like an attorney, we work from a retainer paid up front, based on the days and investigators your case needs. If the case runs longer, you pay as you go. If it finishes under budget, we refund the difference by check.
All major credit cards, Zelle, Venmo, Cash App, and wire transfers.
Mileage and expenses are billed separately and are usually small. Written reports, video preparation, and declarations are billed when your case needs them. Court testimony is billed as a flat 8-hour day plus half a day for preparation.
Yes, including major holidays. For rush or urgent cases, call as early as you can, because our calendar often books up in advance.
Yes. Your first consultation is free and 100% confidential. Contact us or call (213) 647-4141.
No. We don’t place tracking devices, and California law restricts using them to track a person. We follow and observe from public places.
Read more: professional surveillance →
No. California generally requires everyone in a confidential conversation to consent before it is recorded. We document what we can see from public places.
No. That happens on TV. We are private citizens running a legitimate business, and our job is to observe, document, and report.
No. A private investigator has no law enforcement authority and can’t enter private property without the owner’s consent. Everything we gather is gathered lawfully, so it can be used.
Yes. California requires investigators to release case information only to the client. We never share who hired us.
At a minimum, a clear face photo and a full-body photo. Vehicles with license plates are ideal, along with work hours and workplace, or when they are usually up and out if they don’t work. Most important: when is the most likely time they would be meeting someone?
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Often we get answers in the first one or two days. When the other person is very discreet, it can take a few days spread over weeks or months.
We check basic public social media. We don’t create fake profiles or work dating apps, because that takes a lot of time and money and rarely pays off.
Usually not for the divorce itself, because California is a no-fault state. Where it matters is honesty: if the other party lies about the affair and is caught, it hurts their credibility. Your family law attorney can tell you how it applies to your case.
Not from us. If someone starts to notice an investigator, we call in a “Code 5” to the local police so they know a licensed investigator is working the area, without case details. If the person keeps noticing, we leave and rethink our positions rather than make contact.
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We work it like a fraud case: what was said in court, and what is actually happening. For example, a person under a stay-away order showing up at family gatherings, or a child not living where a parent claims.
Read more: child custody investigations →
A car there overnight helps, but stronger evidence is everyday life: the other person using their own house key, getting the mail, taking the kids to and from school, or grocery shopping with the family and coming home.
Read more: cohabitation investigations →
We deliver date- and time-stamped video and a factual report, and the investigator who recorded it can testify when your case calls for it.
We usually start with a 2 to 3 day budget. The results decide whether more surveillance makes sense.
Read more: workers’ comp fraud investigations →
We focus on surveillance and don’t take recorded statements. We do review the claimant’s public social media, both to confirm we have the right person from current photos and to spot posted activities, so we can plan surveillance around the days most likely to show their true day-to-day activity.
Yes. The investigator who recorded the video can testify at deposition, at the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board, or in court. Testimony is billed as a flat 8-hour day plus half a day for preparation.
The claimant’s details, the reported restrictions, known addresses and vehicles, and any upcoming exams or hearings.
No. We serve hard-to-reach and evasive people in larger cases, usually after a regular process server has failed.
Read more: difficult process service →
We do the groundwork first, then set up surveillance and serve them as they come or go. We videotape the serve whenever possible, and every photo is date, time, and GPS stamped.
Yes, lawfully and with patience. We map the gates and exits, identify vehicles, and work from well out of view.
Yes, anywhere in California. We don’t serve out of state, because travel costs climb quickly.
Yes. We are licensed through Paramount Investigative Services, California private investigator license #24065, and we are registered Los Angeles County process servers with nearly 30 years of experience.
Yes. Our team includes a female private investigator and an investigator who speaks Italian.
Beverly Hills and the Westside, including Century City and West Hollywood, and throughout Los Angeles County.
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Read more: Meet our team →
Tell us about your situation, and we’ll give you a straight answer.
Need to contact us right away? Call us: (213) 647-4141 or fill out the form below.
Every case is different. Our team has nearly 30 years of experience, and a short conversation is usually all it takes to know what your case needs and what it will cost.
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