A factual investigation establishes what happened, without arguing for a side. Insurers, lawyers and employers commission them precisely because the value lies in the impartiality. If the investigator is trying to reach a particular conclusion, the report is worth nothing the moment that becomes apparent.
We provide factual investigations in Brisbane and throughout Queensland, for private clients, law firms, insurers and employers.
How we run factual investigations in Brisbane
The work is interviews, statements and document verification rather than covert observation. We identify who actually has direct knowledge, take statements in their own words, and test the account against the documentary record instead of against our expectations. Where accounts conflict, we set out the conflict rather than resolving it for the reader, because resolving it is the decision maker’s job.
What Queensland law means for this work
Queensland licenses investigators under the Security Providers Act 1993, administered by the Office of Fair Trading. Private investigator is one of the security provider classes in section 4, and section 9 makes it an offence to act as or even advertise as a security provider without a licence. A separate security firm licence is required to run an investigation business.
Listening devices are covered by Part 4 of the Invasion of Privacy Act 1971. Section 43 prohibits using a listening device to overhear, record or monitor a private conversation, with a maximum of 40 penalty units or two years imprisonment. Queensland does permit a party to a conversation to record it, which is a real difference from several other states.
Section 44 of the Invasion of Privacy Act prohibits communicating or publishing a private conversation obtained unlawfully, and section 45 restricts what even a lawful party to the conversation may publish.
None of that is a formality. The rules differ genuinely between Australian jurisdictions, and evidence gathered outside them is frequently inadmissible and can expose the person who gathered it. Working inside the QLD framework is what makes the result usable.
The federal statutory tort of serious invasion of privacy, which commenced on 10 June 2025 under Schedule 2 of the Privacy Act 1988, applies on top of QLD law and contains no exemption for private investigators.
This is general information about how we operate, not legal advice. For advice on your circumstances, speak with your lawyer.
What you receive
You receive signed statements where possible, a chronology, a schedule of documents examined, and a report that distinguishes what witnesses said from what the documents show from what remains unresolved. That structure is deliberate. It is what makes the report survive cross examination.
Where we work in Queensland
Brisbane divides into the inner city around Fortitude Valley, New Farm, South Brisbane and West End, the north through Chermside and Aspley, the south through Mount Gravatt and Sunnybank, the east through Bulimba, Morningside and Wynnum, and the west through Toowong, Indooroopilly and St Lucia, with Ipswich, Logan, Moreton Bay and Redlands around it. Beyond the South East we cover the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba and the Darling Downs, Wide Bay, Central Queensland, Mackay and the Whitsundays, Townsville, and Cairns and the far north.
Where the evidence ends up
- Magistrates Courts of Queensland. Summary crime, committals, domestic violence protection orders and smaller civil claims.
- District Court of Queensland. Mid tier indictable crime and civil claims, with the civil limit currently $750,000.
- Supreme Court of Queensland. Unlimited civil jurisdiction and the most serious crime, with the Court of Appeal above it.
- QCAT. Minor civil and debt disputes to $25,000, tenancy, building disputes, guardianship and review of Office of Fair Trading decisions.
- Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. Family law is federal, so a family matter runs under Commonwealth law even though the conduct investigated is governed by QLD rules.
Frequently asked questions
What makes an investigation factual rather than an ordinary one?
Scope and posture. A factual investigation is commissioned to establish what occurred and is written to be read by someone who has not made up their mind. It does not advocate, and it does not omit the parts that are inconvenient for the party paying for it.
Do you record interviews?
Where the law and the circumstances permit, and with the appropriate consents. Recording rules differ by jurisdiction and getting them wrong can make an otherwise good statement unusable, so this is settled before an interview rather than during it.
Do you cover regional Queensland as well as Brisbane?
Yes. Brisbane work can generally be mobilised faster and at lower cost. Regional work carries travel time and expense, and we will tell you honestly whether the likely result justifies it before you commit.
Talk to us about a QLD matter
Every enquiry starts with a confidential conversation about what you actually need, and sometimes that conversation ends with us saying an investigation is not warranted. Call 1300 792 283 or get in touch for a free consultation and a written quote before any work begins.
See also Factual Investigations in Melbourne, our Queensland coverage and our Brisbane page.