From first call to signed report
Most people have never instructed an investigator and have no idea what happens after they pick up the phone. Here is the whole process, including the parts firms usually leave out.
It's --:-- in Spain — an investigator is available now.
You leave a number. We call back within 24 hours from a discreet number, at a time you choose. There is no account to create, no form beyond your phone number, and no cost.
On that call you describe what has happened. We ask the questions that determine whether this is something an investigator can help with and what it would take — where the person is, how long this has been going on, what you actually need to establish and why.
Two things people worry about, answered in advance. We never identify you to a third party, and we never contact you unprompted through a channel you have not agreed. If you tell us to use WhatsApp and nothing else, that is what happens.
Why this exists Before accepting tracing or surveillance work we verify there is a lawful basis for it. Spanish law requires a legitimate interest — a real legal, contractual, family or economic reason for needing the information. Without one, the investigation is unlawful and the evidence unusable.
This is not a formality and it is not us being cautious on our own behalf. Evidence obtained without a lawful basis can expose the person who commissioned it, not only the person who gathered it. Screening protects you first.
In practice most instructions pass without difficulty: an owner whose property is occupied, an executor who must find an heir, a creditor with a judgment, a person about to enter a transaction they cannot verify, a party to proceedings that turn on cohabitation. Where an instruction fails, we say so and stop. We do not charge for reaching that conclusion, and we do not look for a way around it.
We tell you what can realistically be established, what we think it will take, and what it costs — in writing, before anything begins. Cases start from €1,200 plus VAT and are quoted per case rather than by the hour, so there is no meter running and no invoice you did not agree to.
We will also tell you when we think the answer is no. If the evidence you want probably does not exist, or cannot be gathered lawfully, or would not achieve what you are hoping it achieves, that conversation happens now rather than after you have spent money. It is the single most useful thing we do for some clients.
Nothing starts until you accept the quote. More on how pricing works
Our operatives carry out the work. Depending on the case that means observation in public space, record and register checks, documentary verification, or enquiry on the ground — usually a combination.
You receive updates on the schedule you choose. Some clients want a message after every deployment; others want nothing until it is finished, because the waiting is worse with a running commentary. Either is fine, and you can change your mind.
If circumstances change materially — a second operative becomes necessary, the subject leaves the province, the work turns out simpler than expected — you hear about it before further cost is incurred. Not on the invoice.
Discretion is operational, not a courtesy. A subject who becomes aware they are being observed changes their behaviour, and the opportunity is gone. Being noticed is not an embarrassment for us — it is a failed case.
Every case ends with a structured written report in English, dated and signed by the licensed detective — TIP nº 6496 — and prepared so that your lawyer can use it or it can be produced in proceedings.
What it contains: a chronology of what was observed or established, with dates, times and locations. The methods used, so their lawfulness is visible on the face of the document. Supporting material referenced and retained. And findings stated separately from inference, so the two are never confused.
Where something is uncertain, it is recorded as uncertain. A report that overstates what it establishes is a liability under cross-examination rather than an asset, and clients are sometimes surprised that we will not write the stronger version. That restraint is the reason the report is worth having.
Whether you ever use it is entirely your decision. Many clients never do — they wanted to know, and knowing was the point.
Common questions
How quickly can you start?
Most cases open within 24 hours of the callback, and urgent matters can usually begin sooner. Tell us your deadline at the outset — timing often determines whether the evidence exists to be gathered at all.
Do I need to be in Spain?
No. Most of our clients instruct from abroad and never travel. Everything runs in English, and where a legal step requires your presence a Spanish lawyer can usually act under a power of attorney.
Can I stop partway?
Yes. You are billed for work carried out and authorised. People do sometimes decide midway that they no longer want the answer, and that is a legitimate outcome rather than a failure.
What happens to my file afterwards?
It is retained as the law requires and no longer, held within the EU, and never shared with a third party without your instruction or a legal obligation to do so.
Do you work with my lawyer?
Frequently, and it is often the better arrangement. Where a firm instructs, we report to the firm and correspond through it. For law firms
Confidential · No obligation · No cost
Leave a number and we'll call you back within 24 hours from a discreet number. Nothing is recorded on your side, nothing is sent by post, and nothing happens until you say so.