Private Detective Agency · Since 1862
Private detective services for the questions you can't answer alone.
Mooney & Boland Detective Agency handles surveillance, background and locate investigations, financial and corporate inquiries, and litigation support across the United States, carried out discreetly and documented properly.
Your first conversation is confidential and carries no obligation.
Where should we start?
Choose what's closest to your situation.
Most people start with a short conversation about what changed and when. From there, a focused surveillance or background effort can confirm or rule out what you suspect.
Discuss this confidentiallyA name and any last-known detail is usually enough to begin. Locate work combines records research with field verification so you get a current, confirmed answer.
Discuss this confidentiallyWhether it's a new partner, a tenant, a caregiver or an online contact, a background investigation separates what someone says from what the record shows.
Discuss this confidentiallyInternal problems call for quiet, documented fact-finding that protects the company and treats employees fairly.
Discuss this confidentiallyAttorneys and self-represented parties use investigators to locate witnesses, develop evidence and find assets before and during litigation.
Discuss this confidentiallyIf you are in immediate danger, call 911 first. For ongoing concerns, an investigator can help identify who is responsible and build a documented record.
Discuss this confidentially- Investigations in all 50 states
- Individuals & families
- Businesses & employers
- Attorneys & insurers
- Discreet, documented findings
If something doesn't add up
You don't need every answer before you reach out. Getting answers is our job.
People usually contact a detective after weeks or months of wondering. A schedule that changed, money that moved, a person who disappeared, a story that keeps shifting. It's normal to feel unsure about taking the step.
Explain it in your own words
You don't need the right terminology or a finished timeline. Tell us what you've noticed and what you want to know.
Treated as confidential
What you share is used to understand your situation and plan the work, nothing else.
You decide what happens next
An inquiry is a conversation, not a commitment. You'll hear what's possible, what's lawful and what it would involve.
75 investigative services
Organized around the problem you're facing, not industry jargon.
Start with the category closest to your situation. Each service page explains what the work involves, how it's carried out and what you can expect.
Browse the full service directoryWho we work with
Different clients. The same discipline.
A worried parent and a litigation partner need different things from an investigator. The work is shaped to the person asking.
Individuals & families
Personal matters are rarely simple, and they're never just paperwork. We help people get clear, verified answers about relationships, family members, missing persons and the people who come into their lives, without judgment and without fuss.
- Infidelity Investigations
- Missing Persons Investigations
- Background Investigations
- Child Custody Investigations
- Elder Financial Exploitation Investigations
Businesses & employers
From a single suspected theft to a full internal investigation, companies need facts gathered quietly, documented properly and delivered in a form leadership, HR and counsel can act on.
- Employee Theft Investigations
- Internal Investigations
- Corporate Due Diligence
- Business Partner Investigations
- Workplace Harassment Investigations
Attorneys & law firms
Investigative support built around the case: witness location and interviews, evidence development, asset discovery and background research on parties and experts, with findings written for counsel.
- Witness Location
- Litigation Support Investigations
- Criminal Defense Investigations
- Judgment Debtor Investigations
- Opposing Party & Expert Research
Insurers & claims professionals
Fair, thorough claim verification across workers' compensation, liability, disability and property lines, including activity checks, recorded statements and documented field work.
- Workers' Compensation Investigations
- Insurance Fraud Investigations
- Injury Claim Investigations
- Recorded Statements
- Subrogation Investigations
Since 1862
A name rooted in American detective history. A modern way of working.
The Mooney & Boland name traces to 1862, when detective work meant ledgers, legwork and the patient gathering of facts that others overlooked. The tools have changed beyond recognition. The discipline hasn't: listen carefully, verify everything, document what you find and keep the client's confidence.
Today that tradition is applied with modern records research, digital investigation and professional field work, so the answers you receive are current, verified and usable.
Why hire a professional
Searching on your own gets you information. An investigation gets you facts.
Online searches, social media and guesswork can point in a direction. They rarely produce something you can rely on, act on or hand to an attorney.
Method and access
Investigators know which records exist, where they're held and how to obtain them lawfully, and how to verify what people-search sites get wrong.
Evidence, documented
Observations are recorded with dates, times, photographs and written notes, organized into a report rather than a pile of screenshots.
Objectivity
When you're close to a situation, it's hard to see it clearly. An investigator gathers facts without a stake in the outcome.
Discretion
Confronting someone or asking around tips them off. Professional work is planned so the subject isn't alerted.
How it works
From first conversation to final report.
Every matter is different, but the path is consistent and clear at each stage.
Reach out, however is easiest
Call, email or send a short inquiry. A few sentences is enough to start; you don't need documents or a timeline ready.
Confidential consultation
We talk through what you know, what you need to find out, and what can lawfully be done. If an investigation isn't the right tool, you'll hear that too.
A defined plan and scope
The approach, the scope of work and the cost are set out before anything begins, so there are no surprises.
Findings you can use
Results are delivered in a clear written report with supporting documentation, organized so you, or your attorney, can act on them.
Most requested
The investigations people ask about most.
From personal matters to complex corporate and insurance work, these are the services our clients most often request.
Infidelity Investigations
Discreet fact-finding when you suspect a partner is being unfaithful.
Personal & FamilyBackground Investigations
A verified picture of who someone is, built from records, history and corroboration.
Surveillance & EvidenceSurveillance Investigations
Professional observation that turns suspicion into documented fact.
Personal & FamilyMissing Persons Investigations
Structured searches for adults and family members who have gone missing.
Financial & AssetAsset Searches
Identifying real property, vehicles, business interests and other holdings.
Locate & Records ResearchSkip Tracing
Locating people who have moved without leaving a forwarding address.
Insurance InvestigationsWorkers' Compensation Investigations
Activity checks and fact-finding on questionable comp claims.
Corporate & WorkplaceEmployee Theft Investigations
Identifying internal loss of inventory, cash or property.
Service areas
Private detective services across the United States.
Investigations are coordinated wherever the facts are, from major metros to rural counties. Each state page covers local considerations, licensing context and the services most requested there.
Questions, answered
What people ask before hiring a private detective.
Straight answers to the questions that come up most. For more, the resource library covers hiring, costs, process and state-by-state guidance.
How do I know if I actually need a private detective?
If you have a question that matters, can't get a reliable answer on your own, and need that answer documented, an investigator is usually the right call. Common examples: you suspect a partner, employee or business associate of something you can't prove; you need to find a person or asset; or an attorney has told you that you need evidence. If you're unsure, a short conversation will tell you whether an investigation makes sense or whether there's a simpler route.
Is it legal to hire a private detective?
Yes. Hiring a private investigator is legal throughout the United States, and investigators must follow federal and state law. That means no wiretapping or recording where it's prohibited, no hacking into accounts, no trespassing, no impersonating law enforcement, and no obtaining protected records such as phone or bank records without legal authority. Licensing rules vary by state; our state pages explain what to look for where you are.
How much does a private detective cost?
Cost depends on the type of work and how much of it is needed. Surveillance is generally billed by time because it depends on the subject's activity, while records research and many locate searches are often quoted as a defined scope. The useful first step is describing what you need to know; scope and cost can then be discussed before anything begins. Our guide to private detective costs covers the factors in detail.
Will the person find out they're being investigated?
Discretion is central to how investigations are planned. Surveillance and research are conducted so the subject is not alerted, and nobody is contacted on your behalf without your agreement. No one can promise an outcome in every circumstance, but avoiding detection is built into the approach from the first conversation.
What should I have ready before I reach out?
Very little. A name, a general location and a sentence or two about what you're trying to find out is enough to start. Helpful extras include photos, addresses, vehicle descriptions, dates and any documents you already have, but you don't need to gather everything first. See what to tell a private detective for a checklist.
Do you work with attorneys, businesses and insurers?
Yes. Alongside individuals and families, Mooney & Boland supports law firms, corporate clients, HR and compliance teams, and insurance carriers with litigation support, corporate investigations and insurance investigations.
Confidential inquiry
Tell us what's happening. We'll tell you what's possible.
Call, email or send a short confidential inquiry. You'll hear back from someone who can explain your options plainly, including whether an investigation is the right step at all.