What does an investigation with Groupe Indicia detectives entail?

Groupe Indicia is a network of private detectives with nationwide presence across France but, ultimately, what does an investigation by a private detective entail? What is the process?

Beaucoup de personnes souhaitant faire appel à un détective privé ignorent généralement comment cela se déroule et sont vite déboussolées par les offres proposées sur Internet. Suite aux interrogations croissantes de la part des clients qui nous contactent, nous vous proposons, dans ce court article, les quelques points importants à connaître afin d’éviter les erreurs.

Many who want to use the services of a private detective are generally unaware of how the process works, and are quickly confused by the offers available on the Internet. In response to the growing number of questions from clients who contact us, this short article lists a few important points to check, and the pitfalls to avoid.

Contact your private detective by email or telephone

Initial contact should be made with the detective agency recommended to you or chosen by you. We receive numerous requests to contact us by email or telephone from clients located across France or coming to us through their lawyer.

How does a private investigation work? We are bound by professional secrecy and, as such, every request is treated as confidential, with the utmost discretion. So be sure to express your situation clearly, and don’t hesitate to send us a few details about your case:

• Is it a family or business matter?
• Are legal proceedings underway?
• Do you have any deadlines to meet, such as a deadline for your lawyer to file his or her submissions?
• Do you already have information to back up your doubts?
• These are just some of the elements that will enable the Groupe Indicia private detectives to grasp two fundamental aspects of the performance of your assignment: its feasibility and legality.

Bear in mind that a private detective is not a judicial police officer, and therefore does not perform phone tapping, will not hack into your spouse’s computer or smartphone, or install spy microphones and cameras in your employee’s home.

These are all illegal requests, the mere advertising of which on a website or in a commercial video is punishable by law. For more information on this topic, read our article: What should I consider before hiring a private detective?

This initial contact is also very important, as the professional has a duty to advise and listen to your needs. Groupe Indicia detectives are committed to providing you with serious, honest advice on the legal strategy and investigation methodology to be applied to your case. The work process is not the same in an employment court setting as it is before a family court judge. Our investigation methodologies differ depending on whether we are working on a commercial case or our client simply wishes to retrieve information as part of an Economic Intelligence approach.

This first contact is also fundamental for clients and enables them to quickly assess the credibility and seriousness of the professional’s approach. A relationship of trust needs to be established quickly, so that the detective is fully aware of the ins and outs of the case to be handled, and the client is assured of the detective’s ethical rigor and professional ability to carry out the assignment.

Issuance of a detailed quote prior to the private detective’s investigation

Following this initial contact, which may be accompanied by an additional meeting at the agency, at your home/head office or by videoconference (Skype, etc.), Groupe Indicia detectives will be able to determine the course of the future investigation:

• Accurately determine the goals of your case and their legal purpose;
• Set out an appropriate investigation strategy to carry out the assignment entrusted to them;
• Liaise with your law firm and any bailiff offices involved in proceedings;
• Issue a detailed quote, specifying the resources to be used, the number of agents/vehicles, the investigative acts to be carried out, the time spent on your case, any assignment expenses and the total amount of fees to be expected

The detective’s fees are invoiced transparently to the customer, who is informed of the total cost of the assignment in advance. Don’t hesitate to take the time to think things over if you’re not sure about your approach, or if you’re not happy with the contact you’ve made with the detective agency you’ve contacted. To learn more about the cost of a private detective, we’ve put together a full article on the subject.

Don’t be fooled by misleading commercial practices offering you a discount of several thousand euros if you sign the contract immediately, or by unscrupulous professionals who denigrate their colleagues in violation of Article 8 of the Code of Ethics governing private detective activities. Such practices have no place in our profession, and are immediately indicative of the lack of seriousness and credibility of the agency contacted…

How does a private investigation work? Following these first steps, the Groupe Indicia private detectives will send you a “confidential information sheet” to be completed with all information required to carry out the assignment. Carefully fill it in as accurately as possible, as every detail counts and can save us precious time during the investigation: the registration number of the vehicle used by the target, recent photos or complete addresses (workplace, home, etc.) are all valuable details enabling us to act as quickly as possible.

 

Signing the private detective’s mandate

Once you have made your decision, to open your case with one of the Groupe Indicia agencies, you will need to complete the following documents and send them to us:

• Duly completed information form;
• The signed quote and a deposit;
• The mandate or engagement contract, duly initialed, dated and signed by you.

It should be noted that signing a written assignment contract is a legal and ethical obligation (Article 30 of the Code of Ethics), guaranteeing the seriousness of the mandated detective and enabling him or her to act on your case in all legality. This document must set out the obligatory general terms and conditions of sale, such as the rates charged by the agency, the terms of payment and the rights and obligations of the parties. Above all, it must clearly and legibly state the purpose of the assignment, which defines the legal framework for our work.

How does a private investigation work? Operational management of the assignment entrusted to us

Working closely with our clients, we then take charge of the assignment entrusted to us and carry out the necessary due diligence in line with the established investigation strategy. We adapt our work to the realities of the field and inform our clients of any changes or complications.

Groupe Indicia detectives are able to adapt to the results obtained, and work closely with all legal professions involved in the case (lawyers, bailiffs or notaries). Acting as a genuine interface, each investigation manager is able to coordinate his or her work with that of the players mentioned above, such as the drafting of a court order by a lawyer or the establishment of a statement of facts in collaboration with a bailiff.

As part of a centre of excellence and complementarity, Groupe Indicia detectives work in conjunction with recognized experts in their field of expertise: IT experts at the Court of Appeal for the collection of IT evidence, financial experts for cases of embezzlement/fraud, etc.

The private detective’s assignment report is admissible in court

Once the assignment has been completed, the client is provided with a full report detailing the results obtained. Depending on our client’s requirements and the needs of the assignment, it is entirely possible to continue and complete the initial investigations with additional research, which is then the subject of a new detailed quote, approved in advance by the client.

Consequently, at the end of each case handled by Groupe Indicia detectives, you will receive a detailed assignment report, with full details, dated and signed by the agency manager. Recording all the results obtained, this document is strictly confidential and intended exclusively for the use of the requesting party, with a view to defending his or her interests and enabling evidence to be adduced in court. This report may be accompanied by photos or any other ancillary documents, which may be added to the case file as exhibits, in compliance with current legislation and applicable case law.

This report outlines the origin of the mandate, specifies the legal framework for intervention, contains a summary of the investigation summarizing the content of the evidence gathered, and details all the investigative acts that led to the result obtained. A copy of this report is usually forwarded to the lawyer handling your case, so that the results of our investigations can be coordinated with the legal proceedings underway.