Terms of Service & Retainer Agreement

1. Scope of Lawful Investigative Services

Our firm provides factual investigation, electronic evidence preservation, asset tracing, and open-source intelligence gathering. All operations are conducted in strict accordance with federal, state, and local law, including the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), and Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

2. Client Representations & Lawful Purpose Warranty

As a condition of service retention, the client expressly warrants that:

• All information and background provided to our investigators is accurate, truthful, and provided in good faith.
• Requested investigations possess a legitimate civil, corporate, or personal legal purpose.
• Services will NOT be utilized for unlawful stalking, harassment, violation of protective/restraining orders, or unauthorized surveillance.

3. Retainers, Trust Accounts & Unearned Fee Refunds

Except for designated flat-rate forensic audits, work commences upon receipt of an agreed initial retainer. Retainers are deposited into a dedicated client trust account and drawn against hourly billing increments and authorized expenses as incurred.

• Unearned Retainer Return: Unearned retainer balances remaining upon case completion or mutual termination are refunded within statutory banking timelines.
• Itemized Accounting: Clients receive itemized billing statements detailing hours deployed, forensic software licenses utilized, and operational expenses.

4. Factual Inquiries & Disclaimer of Guaranteed Outcomes

Private investigations inherently explore objective reality. Our agency guarantees rigorous professional diligence, strict chain of custody, and lawful methodology; however, we do not guarantee specific predetermined findings (e.g., verifying a suspected affair or discovering hidden assets where none exist). Fees reflect professional time and laboratory analysis.

5. Prohibited Activities & Immediate Contract Forfeiture

To preserve evidentiary admissibility and professional integrity, our firm strictly refuses and prohibits:

• Wiretapping, interception of live oral communications, or installing spyware on devices without sole ownership and legal authorization.
• Unauthorized access or credential cracking into password-protected email, cloud, or financial accounts.
• Physical trespass or obtaining non-public financial records without subpoena authority.

Attempting to coerce our analysts into unlawful acts triggers immediate contract termination, forfeiture of retainers, and potential statutory reporting.