“That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche

A quick internet search and you will find tons of resources about doing investigations yourself. Trying to save money with a do-it-yourself investigation can end up costing you far more in the long run than if you had just hired a professional private investigator from the beginning. Here are the top 10 reasons to hire a private investigator.

1. Conducting an investigation is time-consuming. Surveillance, research, interviews and more all add up to a lot of time required to gather all of the necessary evidence.

2. Professional private investigators know the laws. They know what they can legally do and what is illegal. If you DIY, you could unknowingly break the law, causing your evidence to be inadmissible in court, or worse, result in criminal charges being brought against you.

3. A PI is unknown or anonymous to the subject in the investigation, which allows them to present evidence and testify in court as an independent third party.

4. They have the right resources to research, perform background checks and investigate people without getting fooled by fake services online that many DIY investigators are tricked by.

5. They have the right connections. PIs typically have confidential resources and contacts within law enforcement and often the government as well.

6. PIs know the correct way to follow and document a paper trail, traced back to the originator, in the correct way for the courts to accept that evidence.

7. PIs have the equipment needed for the job, including different types of cameras, GPS trackers, software and surveillance devices. They also have the training and authorization to use this equipment to collect evidence.

8. PIs are trained in body language and subtle cues that indicate interview subjects are being less than truthful. And they know how to conduct interviews to get the most detail, as well.

9. PIs know how to navigate potentially dangerous situations. If you don’t know what you are doing, you may wind up in an unexpected dangerous situation that you are unsure how to get out of safely.

10. Many PIs have backgrounds in law enforcement, crime labs and other areas that give them insight into various types of evidence a DIY wouldn’t know to look for.

Private investigations are something best left to the professionals. Without a clear understanding of the laws and having the proper clearance to conduct investigations will not only compromise your case, but could land you in jail or in a potentially life-threatening situation.