Find My Family - Lipstick Investigations

Find My Family is a common term used by private investigators when we are looking for lost family members such as birth parents, misplaced siblings, half-brother and half-sisters, ex-flames and anyone else that you have lost contact with from the past.

With 20 years of experience Lipstick Investigations specialises in all things relationships – including locating missing family or friends. Locating long lost family is actually a very satisfying part of the private investigations industry compared to many of the other types of assignments we find ourselves doing. Reuniting family is a highly rewarding exercise and we love to help.

Most private investigations involving locating family members are carried out in the office via online searches – this keeps the cost down. Of course there are investigation cases which require field calls, surveillance, and other out-of-office scenarios which can take the cost a bit higher, but nothing is done without informing the client of progress and expected charges.

Recently we have had success in locating adult siblings that were not even known of about a year ago; numerous birth parents – both mothers and fathers; children that were given up for adoption; natural mothers who made the difficult decision to give up their child; and even located the father of children after one-off physical relationships.

You may have tried to ‘find my family’ yourself and come up with a dead-end. Investigators have many more resources than just the internet, Facebook and White Pages so if you have exhausted all avenues in search of missing family then please contact us for a free appraisal of your situation. After we receive some basic details from you relating to the amount and type of information our Managing Director, David, will be able to assess the detail and then advise the direction of investigation and an idea of charges. He will be able to give you a true and honest assessment of the situation and then you can think about your next step. You might find that the cost of a ‘find my family’ is not as high as you think!

Of course Lipstick Investigations also does other investigations relating to relationships including family law investigations, infidelity investigations and online dating relationship investigations.

If you would like to make an inquiry just got to our Contacts Page and fill out the form, call us direct on 1300LIPSTICK, or email David directly at david@lipstickinvestigations.com.audavid@lipstickinvestigations.com.au  He will only be too happy to answer your questions.

Australian Private Investigators and Privacy

Privateinvestigators perform a whole range of assignments on behalf of their clients and, as with any other citizen in Australia, must do so within the boundaries of the law. The assignments range from investigating insurance fraud and tracing debtors, to finding missing relatives and helping people with family disputes. Very often these investigations will require the client to obtain information such as records of conversations, addresses, and other personal details but there are strict guidelines on how a private detective can go about doing this.

General Information Protection

Australia has strict laws to protect personal information. The Privacy Act controls the revelation of personal information, unless specific exclusions apply. An organisation or a company cannot release personal information to a private investigator without a valid reason. The Act does specify a number of occasions when these exemptions apply, but even then the organisation can make a judgement on whether it feels the release of the information is appropriate for the situation. The end result is that an investigator has no right to demand information without a court order – it is up to the provider pf the information to make the assessment at that time.

There are times, however, when it is considered appropriate to release information. These would be occasions when disclosure falls within what are known as good information handling ideologies. The ideologies allow for the information to be given out if it is lawful and far, and not incompatible with the reasons that the information was collected for originally. e.g. if someone had been left money in a will, but their last known address was in Sydney and they had relocated, it would be considered reasonable for an employer to pass on their new address details as it is undoubtedly in the interests of that person for them to do so.

The directorial principle is that the individuals should be informed if it is being considered to release their information. The only time this principle could be ignored is if to do so might prejudice an investigation into something like insurance fraud. In these cases it is likely that legal endorsement has already been given due to the criminal nature of the investigation.

So the disclosure of information to private investigators without the knowledge of the person concerned is unlikely to occur unless there are very specific reasons that the law allows for. This does not stop certain private detectives from trying their luck and asking for the information when they are well aware that it should not be forthcoming in an attempt to make their own jobs easier, but the people providing the information should be aware that both they and the investigator may be breaking the privacy laws. The basic consideration is that in the absence of a court order, it is wise to seek advice before releasing any personal information. Lipstick Investigations will always work within the law, and make sure any information we gather is from legal sources – it is no good to a client if it has been obtained illegally.

If you have any questions about information access, email us at any time at enquiries@lipstickinvestigations.com.au and we can discuss your requirements free of charge.

Investigator Rates

Investigator rates vary as much as the assignments we take on. Most are charged by the hour, with the hourly rate changing by the expertise required.  Some assignments though are charged for the actual search, or inquiry …… in the paragraphs below we attempt to give you an idea of how charges can work.

Australian privacy laws are quite strict, and much of the information we collect nowadays is by using surveillance. This means we have an agent (or more) in the field gathering information by observation. It might involve following a business associate, partner, or employee to see what they may be getting up to. This is charged in a very straightforward manner – by the hour.  Most PI firms will charge an hourly rate PLUS gst PLUS mileage PLUS travel time to and from the job PLUS video PLUS pictures PLUS report. This is where Lipstick Investigations is different – our hourly rate might be slightly higher than some other companies but we are ALL INCLUSIVE on the above costs. We just charge you a flat rate per hour with everything else included (some exceptions apply from site to site). There are no nasty surprises at the end of the job.

A ‘person location’ job is charged differently. This is very difficult to charge by the hour unless we are out of the office carrying out field inquiries, so we tend to just charge you a flat fee of $400 to commence a location job, and an additional $400 becomes payable when we get the result. If we don’t get the result then you have only spent the minimum. We have heard of some companies that charge $250 to find someone….. and we find this amazing! How hard can they be working for just $250??? We know that at that price they can’t afford to check a number of databases that we belong to, it just isn’t possible. So whilst you haven’t spent much, you are also a lot less likely to get the result you need.  Please also be aware that these rates are a guideline and we really do need to hear your individual circumstances before being able to commit to this, but 80% of our ‘locates’ are done in this fashion.

Background and asset checks can be difficult to quote. Typically though a background check rate starts at around $1000, and an asset check rate at around $500 depending on the levels required, but once again we really do need to assess your needs and expectations before proceeding.

And then there is a big area of investigation that we like to label ‘Everything Else’. Private investigation in Australia is such a small industry, but encompasses so many different things. Some people come to us for one small piece of information, and others need everything. Send us an inquiry if you have any queries.

What you have to remember is that investigations aren’t always straightforward, and we don’t always know where we will be able to pick up the evidence from, or how long it will take to get it. This is by nature the definition of INVESTIGATION - we don’t have the answers in front of us waiting for a client to call, we have to go and INVESTIGATE once we have a brief of the requirements.

Give us a call on 1300LIPSTICK or email us at enquiries@lipstickinvestigations.com.au for a free discussion of your circumstances, and then we can confirm the investigator rates. 

Female Investigators

Female investigators are our specialty. Well over half of our field agents are women, and the main reason women make great private eyes is that the subject of an investigation is much less likely to be suspicious of a female – it is as simple as that. We have female investigators aged from 23 right up to 58, and everywhere in between. They are of different socioeconomic backgrounds, different cultures, some are mums, some are analytical and some are sneaky – all these qualities make a good investigator no matter what gender they are.

Women investigators go through exactly the same training standards as men, and have had similar life experiences so there is no reason at all why a woman can’t compete in this industry. We have been in business for nearly twenty years and have always relied on women to get the bulk of the work done – we would not be where we are today without their abilities and attitudes.

Our experience has shown us that people in general are a lot less suspicious of a woman than a man. This helps nearly all investigations because the target of the assignment is a lot less suspicious, and this in turn makes subterfuge inquiries and surveillance so much easier and effective, with better results achieved for a client. If you are interested in the psychology of this point please click here 

Of course there are some exceptions where a female investigator would not be suitable. Let’s picture a bucks night full of men, roaming from pub to club. The same female constantly seen in those circumstances would surely stick out. The same result would occur if we followed a man into a brothel – surely the female detective would attract a bit more attention than a male when getting to reception. But on the other side there are examples of where a woman can get the results that a man can’t. Recently we were retained to identify breaches of intellectual property laws in the cosmetics industry and a female investigator was required to covertly ask questions and make purchases – so simple! Another time we had to go undercover and befriend a woman in a wedding party – a male detective couldn't have done that, but our female investigator had no trouble at.

Each assignment we take on is carefully analysed by management, and a suitable investigator is chosen to suit the individually tailored needs of your particular job. Give us a call at any time on 1300LIPSTICK for a confidential chat, or email us directly at enquiries@lisptickinvestigation.com.au

Organising Your Surveillance Investigation

Selecting a private investigator for video surveillance purposes is no easy task. Regardless of where you are, the investigator you hire can have lasting effects on your particular case. Choosing the wrong private investigator for video surveillance based on the price alone may expose you to scrutiny by your partner, your business associate or legal representative, targeting the competence of the hired investigators.

To avoid these pitfalls and more we have put together 4 questions we recommend asking any investigator that you are considering hiring for video surveillance.

1. Ask For A Copy of Their State Issued Private Investigators License

Licensing requirements vary from state to state. Ensure that they are licensed in the State in which you intend to hire them. Don't be afraid to confirm with the State that the investigation firm you are looking to hire is in good standing and have the correct licensing. Most states have the ability to check the registration of the business online, as long as you have the licence number. It is a legal requirement for any investigation firm or sole operator to list their licence number on their website. Before contacting them check the validity of the licence with the relevant authorities.

2. Ask If the Private Investigators Surveillance Videos Have a Date & Time Stamp

Make sure that your investigator's videos are authenticated with a date and time stamp on every scene. If there is no date and time stamp the video is less likely to be admitted as evidence into court, and will be of no value to you. It amazes me how often I still see videos with no date or time stamp on them. Current digital technology with time and date stamps can be tricky so make sure you get what you are paying for.

3. Ask The Private Investigator You Are Hiring What Type Of Plan They Would Implement For Your Specific Surveillance Scenario.

Present the facts of your case to the private investigator and ask for a surveillance strategy. Every surveillance job is different, and your potential video surveillance expert should have no problem sharing their ideas with you about they plan to achieve surveillance success on your behalf. An investigator specializing in video surveillance should have good rationale in their approach to your case. The strategy should be logical and based on the facts of the case resulting in an efficient and effective plan to achieve the desired objectives. For an experienced investigator this should be quite straightforward.

4. Ask How Much Your Private Investigator Charges - Be Wary Of the Cheapest Price

You know the old adage - you get what you pay for.

The two investigator formula is a formula for success. After obtaining video the next most important thing is avoiding being caught out by the subject. Years of experience in the field often correlate to an increase in the price of surveillance. It is worth the extra money to assure that you are hiring a veteran investigator(s) that knows how to avoid being detected. A private detective is not invisible and relies on experience and common sense to blend in with his surroundings, and not take chances that would risk blowing open a discreet investigation.

Once the surveillance is comprised and a subject is aware they have been followed by an investigator you can never follow that person again without them looking over their shoulder limiting all future success. Two private investigators covering every possible exit, mode of transportation and the ability to follow long, short or quick and frequent stops is the best strategy for conducting video surveillance undetected, allowing for multiple attempts and increasing your chance for success.

Going with the cheapest price in the beginning may end up costing you twice as much in the end.

Please feel free to call us at anytime on 1300LIPSTICK for a confidential chat about your precise requirements. Or you can send us an email at enquiries@lipstickinvestigations.com.au - we assure you this will be answered within hours

Lipstick Investigations and The Kyle & Jackie O Show

Lipstick Investigations have been chosen to work with the Kyle & Jackie O Show on Sydney’s KiisFM.  You are probably already aware that Kyle and Jackie have been at the top of the Sydney radio ratings heap for a decade and have one of the largest breakfast audiences on Australian radio.

As one of the most well-known private investigators in Sydney, Lipstick Investigations is well versed in all styles of investigation. Whilst we do tend to specialise in infidelity based investigations and relationship investigation, we also do a large amount of family law work. Furthermore we also carry out background checks and locate persons. In fact, the first three cases we are looking into for Kyle and Jackie O are all relating to reuniting lost families.

The first case involved a grandmother called Jane who was looking for her grand-daughter, Rachael. Rachel’s parents had split up when she was about two years old and Jane had longed to re-untie with her grand-daughter who is now eighteen. After much investigation and digging around we were able to locate Rachael and were able to pass on the details to a very relieved Jane. This was a particularly hard case because the surname that Jane had for Rachel was her son’s surname, not the mother’s surname that Rachael was known by. We had a lot of investigation to do to get to the end result.

The second case involved a young man named James, now in his mid-twenties. James had never met his father as his mother was involved with him only fleetingly. James’ mother knew his name so at least James had a starting point. James had been looking for years but had never been able to locate his birth father. Lipstick Investigations took the case on and we soon realised that the middle name James got from his mother was incorrect, so James had not been able to find his father because the detail was wrong. We were able to go back into the past and locate his father at an address in the early 1990’s and then learn his correct full name. After that detail was sorted it was a relatively straightforward investigation to locate him today. We made contact with James’ father, Peter, and while not wishing to go on the radio, was very happy to be introduced to James. You have to love a happy ending!

There will be more cases to come in conjunction with KiisFM. We are working on more as this blog is prepared. KiisFM and Lipstick – what a great pairing!

If you require a private investigator with any issue at all, please feel free to contact us at 1300LIPSTICK or email us at enquiries@lipstickinvestigations.com.au   There is no charge for an initial consultation.

Private Investigators and Missing Persons

Private Investigators and missing persons go hand in hand together. Yes, Lipstick Investigations is Australia’s foremost relationships investigation firm, but we also carry out other forms of investigation such as background checks, business based inquiries, and missing persons.

Missing persons can be explained in three main groups:

                Misplaced Persons

Misplaced persons aren’t really missing, just misplaced. This is one of the most common forms of missing persons jobs we do, and generally relates to people you have just lost track of. They aren’t really missing as such – it’s just that you don’t know where or how to contact them. Perhaps you are looking for a long-lost family member, an old flame you would like to check in with, an old friend from school or work, or even an adoption issue.  Of course nowadays social media like Facebook and even basic Google searches can help with this, but when you get stuck (and many people do) you can call a licensed private investigator to help. Investigators have the expertise and knowledge to track these individuals down and reunite you them.

                People Who Don’t Want to be Found

This is also an extremely common reason for using a private detective. More often than not a person will not want to be found if they owe money, performing a criminal act or have criminal tendencies, are avoiding service of legal process, or just wish to remain low-key (celebrities and people in the news). These people are still missing persons and can be located on most occasions. All we need is the know-how, some tenacity and the financial capacity to look into the missing person.

                The True Missing Person

The true missing person is when a person just disappears. It may be the fact that they wanted to run away from their problems and have just extracted themselves from the situation, or suffer some sort of mental disorder or a bout of dementia. Perhaps they just need some time out and gather their thoughts – but the family still worry obviously. And the worst case investigators and clients alike – the missing person is a victim of foul play – kidnapping or murder.

Private detectives use a number of methods to investigate a missing persons case. The most common methods are all done within the office. We have a number of databases that we have access to that the public don’t; plus the training and experience to use social media and Google to our advantage as well. Our other main tool is the telephone – it is amazing what you can learn by talking to people!

Of course some missing persons cases require us to get out into the real world and make field inquiries. Perhaps it is talking to people, or showing a photograph that will gather our next clue. A missing persons case may also require surveillance, particularly if we don’t want to tip off the person that we are making inquiries.

If you have a missing persons case that needs a discussion, please feel free to call us on 1300LIPSTICK or drop us a line by email at enquiries@lipstickinvestigations.com.au   An investigator will only be too happy to have a free chat with you about the issue. This obligation free talk will include pricing, methods and timeframe.