When your child’s safety or custody arrangement is at stake, objective documented evidence speaks louder than allegations. We conduct professional covert surveillance to support your family law case in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
What a custody investigation can document: A parent’s actual behavior and daily routine, the people around your children, compliance with court-ordered visitation schedules, household conditions in observable settings, and activities inconsistent with what a parent claims. All evidence gathered legally and formatted for your family law attorney.
What We Document in Child Custody Cases
Family courts in New Hampshire and Massachusetts make custody decisions based on the best interests of the child. Objective documented evidence — not unsubstantiated claims — carries the most weight. Our investigators gather that evidence legally and professionally.
Parental behavior and activity
- Daily routine, schedule, and time spent with vs. away from children
- Evidence of substance use or impairment in observable settings
- Activities inconsistent with a stated lifestyle (claimed disability, financial hardship, etc.)
- Associations with individuals of concern around the children
- Overnight visitors and undisclosed partners
Visitation compliance
- Late, early, or missed pick-ups and drop-offs vs. court-ordered schedule
- Evidence of parental alienation behaviors
- Violations of court-ordered geographic restrictions
- Contact violations (parents ordered to have no direct contact)
Cohabitation documentation
If your former spouse is cohabitating with a new partner but collecting alimony or misrepresenting their living situation in a custody proceeding, we can document the frequency and nature of the partner’s presence through lawful covert surveillance. In Massachusetts, cohabitation can be grounds for alimony modification.
Working with your attorney: Our investigative reports are formatted for direct use by family law attorneys in MA and NH. We can coordinate directly with your counsel on evidence format, deposition preparation, or courtroom testimony. If you don’t yet have an attorney, we can discuss whether a referral makes sense.
How a Custody Investigation Typically Works
We start with a confidential consultation to understand your situation — what you’ve observed, what concerns you have about your children’s welfare, and what a court would need to see. We then design a surveillance plan around the other parent’s known routine and your specific evidentiary needs.
Most custody surveillance involves monitoring the other parent during their custodial time — documenting who is present, where they go, and whether their behavior aligns with what they’ve represented in court. We provide written surveillance logs, photographs, and video formatted for your attorney.
After each session we debrief you privately so you can assess whether to continue. We never extend a case beyond what the evidence warrants.
What We Cannot Do in Custody Cases
Some requests we receive in custody cases fall outside legal bounds. We want to be direct about this:
- We cannot access a parent’s home without consent
- We cannot record conversations without legal authority
- We cannot follow a child without the requesting parent’s legal authority to authorize the investigation
- We cannot interfere with custody exchanges or contact between parent and child
- We cannot intercept communications
Our value is in producing evidence that helps you — not evidence that gets thrown out or exposes you to liability.
Service Areas — Child Custody Investigations
We conduct custody investigations throughout New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Our investigators are mobile — we follow where the case leads across both states. Key areas include Manchester, Nashua, Concord, and the seacoast in NH; Boston, Worcester, the North Shore, and MetroWest in MA.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a PI help with a child custody case in Massachusetts?
Yes. A licensed MA private investigator can document parental behavior, household conditions, visitation compliance, undisclosed partners, and activities inconsistent with a parent’s claims — all admissible in MA Probate and Family Court when gathered legally.
What evidence can a PI gather for a custody dispute?
We can document parental activities and routine through covert surveillance, who is present around the children, pick-up and drop-off compliance, evidence of substance use in observable settings, and cohabitation. All observation occurs in legally appropriate settings and is compiled into a written report with photos and video.
How much does a custody investigation cost in NH?
Custody investigations in New Hampshire are billed hourly with a retainer. Most cases run $1,000–$3,000 depending on the number of surveillance sessions and complexity. We provide full cost transparency before engagement and update you after each session. Call for a free estimate based on your situation.
Can a PI document cohabitation for alimony modification in MA?
Yes. Massachusetts law allows alimony modification when the recipient cohabitates with a new partner. We can conduct covert surveillance to document the frequency and nature of a partner’s presence at the former spouse’s residence — evidence your attorney can use in a modification petition.
Free confidential consultation: 603-785-2800 — NH License #M-2025-0424 · MA License #LP1599A
