FAQ about Private Investigators

Let Bill Papenhausen Investigations catch your cheating husband, wife, boyfriend, or girlfriend.

Why hire a private investigator?

Licensed private investigators are experienced in searching public records and have access to information sources that the general public does not. Commercial databases, not usually available to the general public, are just one of the many sources used by the investigators. This ability to find records in a timely manner equates to a savings for the client. Most commercial database providers require that their customers (law enforcement, lawyers, insurance companies, and private investigators) show proof of licensure prior to access and charge either a per usage fee or monthly flat rate contract fee.

Bill Papenhausen is a California licensed private investigator in East County San Diego.

Almost all states require private investigators to be licensed. Most states also require private investigators to carry Liability and Errors & Omissions insurance. Bill Papenhausen Investigations is licensed in the State of California and carries insurance in the amount of $1,000,000 per occurrence. Without such insurance, you (the client) may be held responsible for any errors, mistakes or omissions made by the investigator.

Private parties hire private investigators for locating people, background investigations, surveillance, and pre-employment screening of household staff. Attorneys need private investigators to assist in locating witnesses for locating assets, video photography, witness interviews, trial preparation, personal injury investigations, and service of process. Insurance companies use private investigators for fraud investigations, locating witnesses and conducting interviews. Investigators are often used by insurance companies to locate an individuals property, to conduct surveillance on workers' compensation claims, casualty claims, and to conduct video photography.

What Questions Should I Ask?

Private Investigators in California are required to be licensed. To obtain a license Private Investigators must have 6000 hours of investigative time, pass a background check and pass a state supervised test. Before you hire a Private Investigator you should insure that he is licensed by the state in which he is practicing.

Some of the questions you should consider asking are:

  1. What experience do you have with cases like mine?
  2. How long have you been a PI? How did you become a PI?
  3. Are you licensed in California?
  4. Are you insured and bonded?
  5. Are you the investigator I'll be working with? If not, what are the credentials of the investigator who'll be working on my case?
  6. How do you guarantee my confidentiality?
  7. How much will this case probably cost me? You should expect to pay a fee up front that may or may not be refundable if the case takes less time than anticipated. Expenses should be specified as billable or not.
The more facts your private investigator has on your case, the easier it will be for him or her to determine the truth in your case.

What Should I Tell My Private Investigator?

In short, everything. The more facts your private investigator has on your case, the easier it will be for him or her to determine the truth in your case. Who, what, when, where, why, and how are crucial. Even things you think may be unimportant should be mentioned. If your investigator doesn't ask questions trying to get all this information from you, perhaps you should think twice about hiring him. Your investigator should also give you ways that he or she intends to go about resolving your case and discuss the pros and cons of each method, so you'll know exactly what to expect.

Why do I need your services if I already have an attorney?

Attorneys specialize in the practice of the law and represent clients in legal matters. They are not necessarily experienced with conducting private investigations and will frequently hire or ask the client to hire the services of a licensed private investigator. Generally, if you have an attorney, and you retain the services of a private investigator through your attorney, the investigator's work product becomes shielded from disclosure to adversaries.

A good investigator should also ask if you are represented by counsel in this case, and if your attorney is aware that you are considering hiring a PI. If you have an attorney, your PI's report should go to him and not to you to maintain what's called "work product privilege". Your attorney and your PI should be aware of one another at the very least.

Costs, Fees, and Expenses

Get an idea of costs up front, not after the fact. The investigator, if he or she has handled similar cases before, should be able to give you a good idea of how much it's going to cost you. Although all cases are not the same, we can attempt to give you a “Guesstimate” or we can establish a dollar figure and stop at that point to consider what else needs to be done and what it would cost or what results it could accomplish.

Expenses may include the following items: Transportation (miles x per mile rate), Out of Town Expenses, Photography, Records Search (Court, MVR, Claims, Background Report), Clerical, Long Distance/Fax, Postage, Fees Paid Out, and Miscellaneous Copies.

Bill Papenhausen Investigations guarantees the quality of our work and our work standards.

Do you guarantee your work?

We guarantee the quality of our work and our work standards. However, we cannot guarantee the results of the investigations or that the searches we conduct will provide you with all of the information you desire. Please be aware that while the information has been found reliable, it may not be guaranteed. We always keep the client informed about the progress of our investigation and the need for any additional searches or records.

What kind of information does a background investigation reveal?

Depending on the purpose for the background investigation (premarital, pre-employment screening, business relationship, dating), the results could provide information about local or national criminal prosecutions, involvement in prior litigation, prior marriages or divorces, and types of assets, derogatory filings such as defaults, tax liens, and judgments.

Client Confidentiality and Privacy

Bill Papenhausen Investigations will keep all information obtained strictly confidential. We will not allow information that pertains to our client, a client's identity, or the subject of an investigation, to be viewed or known by anyone other than our direct client and the investigators involved directly in the investigation.

We will not accept cases that have a conflict of interest to our existing clients. We are obligated by state law to not divulge information about our clients, the subject of our investigations, or otherwise to any other party unless ordered to do so by a court of law.

Can I retain your services if the subject of the investigation has a no contact or restraining order against me?

A no contact order, restraining order, or anti-harassment order (sometimes temporary or greater than one year) is a legally enforceable document that prevents you from harassing or contacting another party, and as such, may apply to third parties that you may hire to do that which you are not authorized to do personally. If you have such a situation, please advise us of the situation so we can determine if such an order applies to us or prevents us from helping you.

Private investigators access databases, interview acquaintances and piece together clues to track down these people with whom you've lost contact.

Locating People

Private Investigators are called upon daily to help locate birth parents, relatives, former friends, lovers, spouses, co-workers and witnesses. Private investigators access databases, interview acquaintances and piece together clues to track down these people with whom you've lost contact. They can use public records to fill in missing information and uncover a new name, address, telephone number and Social Security number.

What Else Should I Know?

Ask who, specifically, will be handling your case. The person you're talking to is not always the lead investigator, or you may have a case they consider routine and that will be handed over to a junior member of the investigational firm. That isn't necessarily bad; but you need to know who you'll be working with and what their background is.

Don't be impressed by gadgets; generally, good old fashioned patience and knowing what to look for are more valuable than any number of surveillance vans. And don't let an agency sell you on two investigators when you think one will probably be able to do the job.

You're not hiring Columbo; your PI should look well-groomed and professional. The appearance of your investigator probably reflects the kind of attitude he or she takes toward work, and sloppy is not what you're after.

Only hire an investigator who, after your interview process, you feel comfortable with. Your instincts are usually correct, and if you feel the slightest bit uneasy about an investigator, you should trust that feeling and go with someone else.

Business Help

Pre-Employment Screening

Many companies need a background check on applicants. An airport shuttle company may need to check applicants' driving histories with the Department of Motor Vehicles if it's hiring a driver to transport passengers in the company's vehicle.

Or parents may decide to hire an in-home nanny. A PI can check the prospective caregiver's personal, financial and criminal history, as well as her references. In most cases the caregivers permission is required.

Prospective Business Partner

At Bill Papenhausen Investigation we recommend you “Investigate before you Invest”. Before you enter into a business venture, examine his background: Civil suits, where has he lived, what businesses has he been involved in. Has he been sued over his business practices? Does he owe money to the State or Federal government for past due taxes? Has he defaulted on property, is he divorced, etc. A background investigation by a respected PI could make the difference between success and disaster.

Security Consultations

A business may need to secure premises, property, assets, people or even information. Some companies may need only a nighttime security guard or an alarm system. But others need electronic surveillance, a loss-prevention staff and strict computer security. Experienced private investigators can recommend security services and techniques to prevent theft of inventory or to provide for employee safety.

Workers' Compensation Claims

Insurance companies estimate that twenty percent of these claims are fraudulent. Even a single fraudulent claim can cost a business tens of thousands of dollars - all unnecessarily.

 

SanDiegoInvestigations.com is the official website of Bill Papenhausen Investigations & All Hours Bail Bonds. We are here to serve you, San Diego!

Contact Bill Papenhausen Investigations right away to discuss your needs.