Terms & Conditions

These Terms and Conditions (“Terms”) govern the use of [website URL] (the “Site”) and the provision of investigation and related services by Resolution Detective Services Ltd (“we”, “us”, “our”) to any client who engages us (“you”, “your”, the “Client”). By using the Site or instructing us to carry out work, you agree to be bound by these Terms.

• Registered office: [registered address]
• Company number: [company number]
• Contact email: [EMAIL ADDRESS]
• Contact phone: [PHONE NUMBER]

We provide private investigation and related services, which may include tracing and location services, surveillance, process serving, background checks, due diligence, fraud investigation, relationship investigations and corporate investigations. [Client to confirm the final list matches the services actually offered.]

The exact scope of work for any engagement will be agreed separately with you in writing — a quote, letter of engagement or signed instruction form — before work begins. General descriptions on the Site are for information only and do not form part of a specific contract until a written engagement is agreed.

We operate in accordance with UK law. Private investigators are not currently required to hold a licence to operate in England and Wales, although licensing under the Private Security Industry Act 2001 has been proposed and may be introduced; investigators operating in Scotland must hold an SIA licence to provide certain investigation services.

[Amend this section to reflect the firm's actual licensing status and any professional body membership, confirming the current position with the Security Industry Authority before publication.]

By instructing us, you confirm that:

• You are at least 18 years old and have the legal capacity to enter into a contract.
• The information you provide to us is accurate, complete and not misleading.
• You have a lawful purpose for instructing us and a legitimate interest in the outcome of the investigation.
• You will not use our services, or any information we provide, to harass, stalk, intimidate, discriminate against or unlawfully monitor any individual.
• You will comply with all applicable laws, including data protection law, in your own use of any findings we provide.

We reserve the right to decline, pause or terminate any instruction where we reasonably believe it may be unlawful, unethical or outside our professional standards.

Quotes and estimates are provided based on the information available at the time and are not binding until confirmed in writing. Investigations are, by their nature, unpredictable — actual time, cost and outcome may vary from initial estimates. We will notify you as soon as reasonably possible if we expect costs or timescales to change materially, and will seek your agreement before continuing.

We do not guarantee any particular outcome, result or finding from an investigation. Some matters may conclude without a definitive answer despite reasonable efforts.

Our fees are set out in your individual quote or engagement letter and may be charged as a fixed fee, hourly or day rate, or retainer, plus applicable expenses such as travel, subsistence and third-party search or data fees. [Insert standard rates, or “Current rates are available on request.”]

• A deposit of [amount / percentage] may be required before work begins.
• Invoices are payable within [e.g. 14 / 30] days of the invoice date.
• We reserve the right to charge interest on overdue invoices at [rate, e.g. 8% above the Bank of England base rate] in accordance with the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, where applicable.
• We may pause work on any matter where payment is significantly overdue.

You may cancel an instruction by giving written notice. You will remain liable for any work already carried out and any costs or expenses reasonably and irrevocably incurred by us up to the point of cancellation. [Insert any specific cancellation fee or notice period, e.g. cancellations with less than 48 hours' notice for scheduled surveillance work may incur a fee of [amount / percentage].]

We treat all client instructions and information obtained during an investigation as strictly confidential, and will only disclose it: to you, the instructing client; where you have authorised disclosure to a named third party such as your solicitor; where we are legally required to do so, for example by court order or statutory obligation; or where disclosure is necessary to prevent harm to a person.

You agree to keep any reports, findings or advice we provide confidential and not to share them beyond the purpose for which they were commissioned, except as required by law or legal proceedings.

Our handling of personal data is also governed by our Privacy Policy, in line with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Any reports, evidence or findings we provide are based on information reasonably available to us at the time and are provided for your own use in connection with the purpose you instructed us for. We do not guarantee that any evidence gathered will be admissible in court or accepted by any third party such as a court, tribunal, employer or insurer — admissibility and evidential weight are matters for the relevant court or body and, where relevant, for your legal advisers to assess.

You are responsible for ensuring that your own use of any information or findings we provide is lawful, including compliance with data protection, harassment and other relevant law.

Nothing in these Terms limits or excludes our liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot be limited or excluded by law.

Subject to the above, our total liability to you arising out of or in connection with an engagement, whether in contract, tort (including negligence) or otherwise, will not exceed [the total fees paid by you for the relevant engagement / a specified cap amount]. We will not be liable for any indirect or consequential loss, loss of profit, loss of opportunity or reputational loss.

You agree to indemnify us against any claims, losses, costs or liabilities arising from instructions you give us that are unlawful, misleading or given in bad faith, or from your own unlawful use of any findings or reports we provide.

Reports and materials we prepare for you remain our intellectual property until payment in full has been received, at which point you receive a licence to use them for the purpose for which they were commissioned. We may retain copies for our own records in line with our data retention policy and legal obligations.

If you are unhappy with our service, please contact us at [complaints email] in the first instance. We aim to acknowledge complaints within [e.g. 5 working days] and resolve them within [e.g. 28 days]. [If the firm belongs to a professional body with a complaints or redress scheme, add the referral route here.]

These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales [amend if the business operates under Scots or Northern Ireland law], and any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

We may update these Terms from time to time. The “last updated” date at the top of this page shows when they were last revised. Continued use of our services after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

• Resolution Detective Services Ltd
• [Address]
• [EMAIL ADDRESS]
• [PHONE NUMBER]