Top 5 Most Requested Private Investigator Services

Services requests that are Legal and Illegal

Navigating legal disputes, personal dilemmas, or business challenges can feel overwhelming. When facts are unclear, or crucial information is missing, many turn to private investigators (PIs) for answers. These professionals offer a vital service, uncovering truths that can bring resolution and closure. But what exactly do people ask PIs to do? And just as importantly, what illegal requests do PIs have to turn away? This article explores the top five legal services most frequently requested from private investigators and highlights the common, yet illegal, services that reputable PIs simply cannot provide.

The Top 5 Legal Private Investigator Services

1. Person Traces: Reconnecting and Serving Justice

Person tracing consistently ranks as the most common request made of professional private investigators. This service is sought by both solicitors and members of the public.

Locating Individuals for Legal Process
Solicitors often rely on investigators to track down individuals who need to be served critical legal documents such as divorce petitions, statutory demands, or court orders. For justice to be upheld fairly, these documents must be delivered to the correct address. When individuals deliberately evade communication or relocate without leaving a trail, a skilled PI can often resolve the issue swiftly with data access, open-source intelligence, and investigative expertise.

Finding Long-Lost Connections
Equally, many of our clients turn to us during deeply personal life events. We frequently assist those wishing to reconnect with estranged family members, childhood friends, or biological relatives they have never met. Even with limited details—sometimes just a name and approximate year of birth—a thorough and lawful investigation can yield incredible results. Unlike internet searches, which often prove fruitless or misleading, an experienced investigator applies professional tools and methods to provide results that are accurate and reliable.

The Ethical Dimension
It is important to note that not every request to “find someone” is valid. Reputable investigators take data protection and safeguarding seriously, refusing cases where the purpose is malicious, harassing, or potentially harmful. Genuine agencies like Titan Private Investigation Ltd always balance client objectives with strict compliance to UK law.

2. Surveillance: Uncovering the Truth Discreetly

Surveillance remains one of the most recognisable elements of private investigation. Conducted lawfully and discreetly, it is a powerful tool for gathering evidence in both corporate and personal circumstances.

Corporate Investigations: Addressing Workplace Issues
Employers may face recurring issues of staff misconduct, ranging from “sick day dishonesty” to moonlighting (working elsewhere during contracted hours). Surveillance provides clarity, allowing organisations to make evidence-based HR decisions rather than relying on suspicion or hearsay. In high-stakes cases, this can save companies thousands of pounds in fraudulent sick pay or productivity losses.

Private Cases: Infidelity and Family Matters
Perhaps the most well-known application of surveillance is in relationship disputes. When clients fear their partner may be unfaithful, or when custody cases involve concerns about a child’s welfare, discreet monitoring can establish the truth. Experienced operatives document the subject’s movements with accuracy and professional care.

Methodologies and Professional Standards
Typically, surveillance tasks involve a minimum of two operatives, ensuring coverage and accountability. Advanced equipment such as covert cameras and communication systems support the operation. More importantly, operatives receive extensive training in ethics, privacy compliance, and the law just as much as in practical techniques.

3. Handwriting Analysis (Graphology): Authenticity and Authorship

Though less widely understood by the public, handwriting analysis is an invaluable tool in many legal disputes.

Signature Verification for Legal Cases
Probate issues frequently raise doubts over the authenticity of signatures on wills or contracts. Investigators provide access to handwriting experts who compare questioned documentation with verified samples. Their detailed reports can be used in court and, in many cases, prove decisive in establishing the genuine intent of a document’s author.

Anonymous Communications
Handwriting analysis also serves in resolving harassment claims. An anonymous hostile letter can create immense distress in a workplace or community. By comparing writing characteristics against the samples of suspected individuals, experts can sometimes identify the responsible party. This enables civil or criminal recourse where appropriate.

The Scientific Process
Far from being based on subjective “style,” graphology involves highly technical analysis of letter formations, spacing, slants, and pressure. Investigations invariably result in a professional report that can be relied upon during negotiations or legal proceedings.

4. Bug Sweeps: Ensuring Privacy and Security

Technical Surveillance Counter-Measures (TSCM), more commonly called “bug sweeps,” are increasingly vital in a world where technology can be weaponised to compromise privacy.

For Businesses
High-profile firms, particularly within aerospace, law, defence or pharmaceuticals, cannot risk leaks of sensitive intellectual property. Regular bug sweeps in boardrooms, offices, and meeting venues safeguard trade secrets against corporate espionage. It is not paranoia—real cases of commercially damaging leaks have proven the need for proactive measures.

For Individuals
Private clients also face risks, especially during contentious divorces or financial disputes. An ex-partner may harbour suspicions and attempt to eavesdrop by hiding listening or tracking devices. PIs equipped with military-grade detection technology can locate and remove these threats, restoring peace of mind.

Expertise and Tools
Bug sweeping is highly technical and requires expensive, specialist equipment. Typically, technicians come from military or law enforcement counter-intelligence backgrounds. They scan across frequencies and employ multi-spectrum detection techniques to reveal devices invisible to the naked eye.

5. Lie Detector Tests (Polygraph): Assessing Truthfulness

Polygraph examinations, though sometimes sensationalised in television programming, have significant legitimate uses.

Corporate Contexts
Employers may commission polygraph testing in cases of suspected theft, fraud or leaks. While results are not legally binding in UK courts, they can provide persuasive evidence during internal disciplinary investigations.

Personal and Relationship Contexts
For private clients, the polygraph test may provide answers in emotionally charged situations—whether to confirm fidelity, resolve accusations, or settle disputes between family members.

The Examination Process
Typically lasting around half an hour, the test monitors physiological responses such as pulse, breathing and sweat gland activity. Results are then interpreted with professional expertise. At an average cost of £480, polygraph examinations remain accessible yet serious tools for truth verification.

Frequently Requested Illegal PI Services

Despite the diverse legal private investigator services offered, investigators frequently decline requests that ask them to cross ethical or legal boundaries. A reputable PI will never engage in:

• Phone tapping: Intercepting live phone calls without consent is a criminal act.
• Text message interception: Reading or extracting another person’s messages without authorisation violates privacy laws.
• Hacking social media or email accounts: Unauthorized access to digital accounts is illegal, regardless of motive.
• Recovering deleted mobile data: PIs cannot lawfully extract personal data from another person’s device without consent.
• Accessing bank accounts: Financial records are highly protected; any “shortcut” to obtaining them is a serious offence.
• Illegal vehicle or GPS tracking: Covertly fitting trackers without ownership or legal authority is not permitted.

These requests are not only unethical but carry severe penalties for both the client and the investigator should they proceed.

The Titan Standard: Professionalism, Legality, and Trust

What distinguishes Titan Private Investigation Ltd, and other trusted agencies, is the commitment to operating within the strict boundaries of UK law. Investigative services are powerful tools that can change outcomes in legal cases, business disputes, and deeply personal matters—but that power must be applied responsibly.

Clients should always ask prospective investigators about their compliance with regulatory standards, data protection, and ethical codes. Working with a professional ensures peace of mind—not only in the evidence gathered, but in knowing the process was lawful and admissible should it be needed in court.

Final Thoughts: Private Investigator Services

Private investigators provide an indispensable service to individuals, businesses and the legal profession. The top five requests—person tracing, surveillance, handwriting analysis, bug sweeps, and lie detector tests—show the diversity of lawful, valuable work performed by this sector every day.

Equally vital is the knowledge of what investigators cannot do. Phone tapping, illegal hacking, unauthorised data retrieval, or covert financial snooping are all off-limits. A reputable investigator will explain these boundaries clearly and refuse such requests without hesitation.

At Titan Private Investigation Ltd, we take pride in delivering results professionally, discreetly, and lawfully. Our clients trust us to provide clarity in uncertain circumstances, secure in the knowledge that we uphold the highest legal and ethical standards.

About Titan Private Investigation Ltd

Titan Private Investigation Ltd is a leading provider of corporate and private investigator services in the UK. Based in Derby, the company serves clients nationwide, offering a full range of investigative solutions including surveillance, fraud investigation, digital forensics, and more. With a reputation for professionalism, discretion, and results, Titan is the trusted partner of choice for businesses seeking to protect their interests and ensure compliance.

London Surveillance Operations – Call the Titan Investigations London Office 020 39046622
Birmingham Surveillance Operations– Call the Titan Investigations Birmingham Office 0121 7162442
Cambridge Surveillance Operations – Call the Titan Investigations Cambridge Office 01223 662022
Derby Surveillance Operations – Call the Titan Investigations Derby (Head Office) 01332 504256
Leeds Surveillance Operations – Call the Titan Investigations Leeds Office 0113 4574066
Leicester Surveillance Operations – Call the Titan Investigations Leicester Office 0116 2436520
Nottingham Surveillance Operations – Call the Titan Investigations Nottingham Office 0115 9646950
Manchester Surveillance Operations – Call the Titan Investigations Manchester Office 0161 3023008
Sheffield Surveillance Operations– Call the Titan Investigations Sheffield Office 0114 3499400
Truro Surveillance Operations – Call the Titan Investigations Truro Office 01872 888706

Alternatively, you can contact us directly using our fully confidential contact form at enquiries@titaninvestigations.co.uk or chat directly using our Live Chat facility, and one of our Corporate Investigations team will get right back to you.