Key Takeaways:
- Private investigator costs in Texas typically range from $75 to $200 per hour, with retainers starting around $1,500 and total costs from $5,000 to tens of thousands depending on case complexity.
- Experience, specialization, and type of investigation (infidelity, asset tracing, forensic analysis, etc.) significantly affect pricing.
- Additional expenses—such as travel, background checks, report preparation, and court testimony—can increase total costs.
- Not every case needs a P.I.; in many divorces, your attorney can uncover similar information during the legal discovery process.
- Hiring a P.I. may not be cost-effective if your community estate has limited assets or if fault grounds (like infidelity) won’t impact property division.
- Preparation saves money—gather key details and documents before hiring an investigator to reduce billable hours.
- Always consult a qualified divorce attorney first to ensure evidence collected will be legally admissible and to receive referrals to reputable, licensed investigators.
You’re sure your spouse is cheating or hiding assets from you, so you want to file for divorce. To uncover proof of his or her misdeeds, you decide to hire a private investigator. Upon searching online for private investigators prices, you found this blog. You’ve come to the right place! In this blog we explain how much it typically costs to hire a private investigator in Texas—and provide insight to help you determine if it’s even necessary.
Brief Summary:
If you’re searching for how much a private investigator costs in Texas—or whether hiring one makes sense during a divorce—this guide provides clear insight from our attorneys. It explains average private investigator rates in Texas, typical retainers and expenses, and when using a P.I. is (and isn’t) worth the money. You’ll also learn how experienced Fort Worth divorce lawyers at the Sisemore Law Firm help clients decide when to involve a licensed private investigator, what fees to expect, and how to ensure any evidence gathered will stand up in a Texas family court.
How Much Does a Private Investigator Cost in Texas?
The expense of hiring a private investigator for a family law case (divorce, child custody cases, parentage, adoption, etc.) can vary based on the length and type of investigative services (infidelity investigations, fraud investigations, missing persons, asset searches, etc.), specialized skills needed and the experience of the investigator hired.
The average hourly rate for private investigators in Texas range between $75 and $200 for more experienced investigators. Not all investigators will have expertise that will suit your case, so comparing the services different investigators provide (not just hourly rates) is an important step.
According to the website Thumbtack, private detectives cost between $75 and $275 per hour nationally, with the national average cost of private investigator services coming in around $110 per hour. You can also expect that private investigators typically charge additional costs based on expenses accrued in association with the investigation.
Potential expenses and additional fees can involve some flat rate services and variable rates based on duties performed. When compiling an estimate for private investigator cost, Texas residents should consider:
- Travel expenses (mileage, airfare and hotel)
- Administrative fees for report preparation, gathering legal documents and other tasks
- Criminal record and other database access fees
- Fees to conduct background checks
- Fees to cover investigator’s time to testify and/or present evidence in court
Most P.I.s also require flat fees for a retainer upfront—which will vary depending on the type of investigation and the investigator’s experience. In general, you can expect to pay a retainer of about $1,500 and up to cover the initial private investigator cost in Texas. The investigator will bill against that fee based on the hours they spend gathering evidence, following your spouse around, interviewing witnesses or tracking down whatever information you want the investigator to uncover.
Several factors affect the cost of a private investigator in Texas
Keep in mind, there are other types of private investigators aside from those who follow people around to prove someone’s cheating, gambling, putting children in unsafe situations and so on. Some private investigators—called forensic investigators or financial forensic analysts—are hired to handle complex investigations like asset tracking or to look into shady business deals.
Some investigators command higher fees and may also have higher operating costs. For example, you will typically pay significantly more for an experienced investigator to conduct a forensic investigation than you will to find out if your spouse is having an affair. In general, forensic private investigators charge more per hour and require a higher retainer, so if you’re hiring a private investigator in Dallas, TX, cost will depend on your specific needs—and the same holds true for Fort Worth.
What can you expect to pay overall?
So, what do private investigator costs look like overall? And more specifically, how much is a private investigator in Texas going to cost in total? In general, I’ve seen the total cost for a private investigator in Texas running anywhere from about $5,000 for a basic, follow-around type of investigation and up to tens of thousands of dollars for complex forensic investigations.
The potential costs all depend on case complexity and the unique aspects of your individual case. Before you hire a private investigator though, it’s really important to speak with a reputable divorce attorney first. Experienced divorce attorneys understand the ethical and legal considerations involved with using a P.I., including whether the investigator’s findings will be considered admissible evidence in court.
Do you really need to hire a private investigator?
Whether you need a private investigator—or want to know how much to hire a private detective is going to cost—these are two things our firm covers during comprehensive case reviews we have with potential clients. Those clients walk out the door knowing how we would approach their case, and that includes whether or not a private investigator is warranted.
Keep in mind, many divorce attorneys won’t take a deep dive into your case the first time you meet, especially those who offer a free consultation. Our firm does charge a nominal fee for our case reviews but you will have most if not all of your initial questions answered, along with a clear understanding of the proposed strategy and next steps for your case. In all honesty, I have never had a prospective client tell me that they didn’t find our consults beneficial.
The question is: Do you need to spend money on a private investigator? And what benefit are you going to gain from spending it?
When you’re considering the costs of a private investigator—especially if you’re wondering how much a private investigator in Texas might cost—you need to first get clear on what you’re hoping to find out. If you’re trying to get evidence that the other party is wasting community assets by frequenting hotels with prostitutes or leaving a bar before driving to pick up your child, I do understand the value of a private investigator for those limited circumstances.
When hiring a private investigator is a waste of money during divorce
People frequently walk into our Fort Worth law office bound and determined to hire a private investigator but our attorneys will talk them out of it when we believe it would be a waste of money in their situation. If we don’t believe hiring a private investigator would be in your best interest, we will tell you so.
For one thing, divorce lawyers already investigate many things in the realm of affairs, money and other habits during the discovery phase of a divorce case (much like a private investigator performs discovery services). We can find out a lot about a spouse’s misbehavior and finances from financial records, bank accounts, credit card statements, credit reports, property records, general public records search, etc.
In Texas, it’s also a waste of money to hire a private investigator to get evidence that your spouse is cheating if you don’t have much if anything of value in your community estate. Why waste money (for the investigator’s time and potential legal fees) to find out if your spouse is cheating if it doesn’t benefit you, aside from confirming what you already suspect?
Now, if you do share substantial assets in your community estate, hiring a private investigator could be worth the money. If we believe you could benefit from the services of a Fort Worth private investigator or a private investigator in Dallas, cost will be addressed when we meet.
While Texas is a no-fault state, meaning Texas law allows you to get a divorce without proving fault, proving certain fault grounds can have an impact on how a couple’s community estate would be divided. In other words, if you can prove your spouse had an affair, and that affair was the fault that led to the break-up of your marriage, the judge may agree to an unequal division of the marital estate in your favor.
Learn more about how fault grounds in Texas work in this recent post.
How to save money on a private investigator during divorce
One of the big problems I see pertaining to private investigator costs, and it’s not necessarily the P.I.s fault, is when the client doesn’t come prepared with information the investigator needs to efficiently investigate their case. Be sure to gather any information that would be helpful to the investigator before you meet.
If you just let a private investigator go on a wild goose chase, and you don’t know where to send them to investigate or tell them what they’re supposed to be looking for, it’s going to take a lot more time and money to find the evidence you need. You’ll literally pay them to stay out there on your case 24/7 and will end up with a whole lot of crickets and hours upon hours of video to review.
The court won’t watch all of that footage. Your attorney and private investigator will need to spend time (which costs you more money) filtering through the evidence, developing a strategy for introducing that evidence and determining the best way to present the evidence gathered from a technology perspective. There are a lot of moving parts to the private investigator scenario that people don’t really think about.
If you must hire a private investigator, do your research first
Again, I recommend speaking with a divorce attorney before hiring a private investigator or researching how much a private investigator is going to cost. Your attorney can recommend a reputable investigator to you and provide insight on private investigator cost details. We also recommend checking client reviews.
If you do decide to go it alone and hire a private investigator, the best first step is to make sure the detective has current investigator credentials and is licensed by your state to perform private investigations. You can learn more about what the Texas Association of Licensed Investigators requires in order to license a P.I. here. If you don’t live in Texas, check with your state’s licensing bureau.
While how much a private investigator in Texas is going to cost be may be important to you, P.I. services are similar to other goods and services you buy—you get what you pay for. Be sure to read online reviews and ask for references before handing over your retainer. Getting a referral from a trusted resource—such as an attorney, financial advisor or law enforcement officer—is always a good idea.
Wondering if a PI is worth it? Our Fort Worth divorce lawyers can help
If you’re wondering how much a private investigator costs in Texas and have questions about divorce, child custody disputes, infidelity, wasting of community funds, hiding of assets and so on, our divorce lawyers in Fort Worth TX are here to help. The Sisemore Law Firm can provide information on hiring private investigators, legal considerations and more, so you can make informed decisions about your case.
To schedule an in-depth, confidential case review with a divorce attorney at the Sisemore Law Firm, please call our Fort Worth law office at (817) 336-4444 or contact us online.
Photo Source: Canva.com
