Investigation services
Skip tracing and asset enquiries
Locate relevant witnesses, people and entities, with clearly sourced asset and address enquiries.
Sourced location information and a record of enquiries undertaken.
Establish the purpose and authority.
A location enquiry should begin with why the person, entity or information is relevant to the matter. The brief identifies the instructing authority, information already held, permitted enquiries and intended use of the result. The work is matched to that lawful purpose.
A request to locate someone does not automatically authorise an approach, service of documents or a further investigation. Those activities need an appropriate separate scope. The practice is directed to legitimate organisational and professional instructions, not unrestricted consumer people searches.
Define the information required.
The task may address a missing witness contact, an uncertain entity identity or a specific asset-related source question. Possible enquiries include:
- Witness and relevant-person location enquiries within an authorised matter.
- Corporate principal and commercial counterparty research.
- Review of supplied identifiers and assessment of possible matches.
- Lawful asset-related source enquiries relevant to the brief.
- Agreed contact enquiries where the purpose and authority are established.
Assess possible matches carefully.
Names, old addresses and public records can produce incomplete or mistaken matches. The information is assessed against the available identifiers and corroborating material. A historical address does not establish current residence, and a matching name does not establish identity on its own.
The output distinguishes supported current information, historical records, possible matches and unresolved attribution. Where the material is insufficient to establish a reliable match, that limitation is stated rather than concealed behind a definitive location label.
The detail behind the enquiry.
Explore the scope, evidence requirements and practical considerations.
Keep location and witness evidence distinct.
A legal team may need to locate a relevant witness before deciding whether to commission an interview. The result of a location enquiry should make clear what information is supported and what further verification or contact has been authorised.
If an interview or statement is subsequently commissioned, its questions, arrangements and reporting requirements are agreed. Statement preparation records the witness’s source of knowledge, relevant supporting documents and review or signing status. Finding a possible contact is not the same as obtaining their evidence.
Report asset-related information within its source limits.
Asset enquiries use sources lawfully available for the agreed commercial purpose. They may identify relevant records or relationships while leaving questions about current ownership, control, competing interests or value unresolved. The report should identify the source and the proposition it can support.
No unrestricted bank-record access, live telephone tracking or comprehensive asset recovery capability is implied. A located record or apparent asset does not establish recoverability. Valuation, enforcement and recovery decisions require the appropriate professional advice and separate authority.
Provide a bounded result and practical next steps.
The handover can include the scope, sources checked, enquiry steps, supported findings, possible matches and limitations. If contact was instructed, its factual record is identified separately. Further options should explain their relevance and any additional authority or information required.
Use the form to request contact, then discuss the purpose and the type of information held during the initial discussion. Detailed personal identifiers or source records should follow only through an agreed transfer method after the scope and handling arrangements are confirmed.
Before we begin
Practical questions.
Practical questions.
Can you assist with locating a witness?
A lawful witness-location enquiry can be considered within an authorised matter. Any approach to the witness and the purpose of contact should be agreed in the instructions.
What information helps assess feasibility?
The lawful purpose, relevance of the person or entity and the type of identifiers already held help define the task. Sensitive details should be supplied through an agreed method after the initial discussion.
Can a current location be guaranteed?
No. Available information can be historical, incomplete or insufficient for a reliable identity match. The output states the basis and limitations of the finding.
Does locating an asset mean it can be recovered?
No. A source enquiry does not establish ownership, value or legal recoverability in every case. Those questions require the appropriate separate assessment and authority.
Related services
Further reading
Begin with a clear brief
Scope a legitimate location or source enquiry.
Explain the relevance of the person, entity or information to the matter and the output you need.