While it’s true that many people picture private investigators as the men in black from James Bond films, the truth is that there are just as many female private investigators as male ones in Australia these days. The job also isn’t just about catching cheaters, something that very few clients request these days anyway; in fact, most of what private investigators do in Australia has nothing to do with the romance of the movies at all.

Here are several things you might not have known about private investigations in Australia.

1) A private investigator in Australia doesn’t just work to detect crime.

A private investigator in Australia is an investigator, plain and simple. Their job stops at detecting crime; they don’t even enter into the realm of doling out legal advice. In fact, very few cases exist where a private investigator in Australia is even called on to do any kind of legal investigation whatsoever.

2) There are entire agencies dedicated to finding lost objects and tracking down the owners.

Searching for lost objects is usually quite expensive, so if you can make money by doing so, great! This one isn’t our favourite, but it can definitely be a useful way of making money. In fact, you could compare this to a modern-day version of the lost and found section.

3) The same restrictions as police don’t bind private investigators in Australia.

Unlike police officers, private investigators in Australia are free to investigate anything they want. This means they have complete freedom to investigate your personal life (including your friends) and work life. In fact, many firms that employ private investigations in Australia give their employees sole discretion over who they approach first during investigations.

4) Licensing is no longer required for private investigators.

If you think that a license should be required for private investigations in Australia, you may be surprised to know that there are no such licensing requirements currently in place. Part of the reason why there are no such licensing regulations is that the Government doesn’t really see any need for them, especially since they have little power to enforce them anyway.

5) Private investigators don’t make as much money as you might think.

While it seems exciting to imagine being an international spy and raking in loads of money doing so, the truth is that most private detectives earn a very average wage and work very long hours. However, the perks of being a private investigator in Australia are plentiful. You’ll get to experience many interesting things and have a wealth of stories you can tell others when you’re not working.

6) There are several different types of private investigators.

There are as many types of private investigators in Australia as there are different cases out there. Different things will require different levels of investigation, which is why it’s important to know what type of private investigator you need before approaching one. This can be done by contacting an experienced firm and explaining your case to them first before making any moves.

7) A private investigator’s role isn’t just limited to catching criminals.

While public perception is that your average private investigator in Australia is all about catching criminals, they also undertake investigations into other areas. This includes workplace and personal investigations, as well as investigations into credit card fraud, border security, and more.

Conclusion

There’s no doubt that you’ll be able to find many more private investigators in Australia who are just great at catching cheaters, but that’s not always the top priority. Sometimes, it can be more about solving a specific problem than catching a criminal.