Corporate matters usually arrive as a question that cannot be asked internally. Whether a supplier relationship is what it appears to be. Whether a departing executive took more than their belongings. Whether a partner is trading against the business. The common thread is that asking the question inside the organisation would itself cause damage.
We provide business investigations in Adelaide and throughout South Australia, for private clients, law firms, insurers and employers.
How we run business investigations in Adelaide
We scope tightly, because corporate investigations that sprawl become expensive without becoming conclusive. Due diligence on counterparties, examination of internal fraud and conflicts of interest, intellectual property and confidential information matters, and compliance investigations. Where employees are involved the workplace rules of the relevant jurisdiction apply in full, and we settle that position before beginning rather than discovering it afterwards.
What South Australia law means for this work
South Australia licenses investigators under the Security and Investigation Industry Act 1995, administered by Consumer and Business Services rather than by police. Section 6 creates an investigation agent’s licence, and it comes in two categories: restricted to inquiry work, or restricted to collection work. Only the inquiry work category covers investigation. Licences are renewed every twelve months, and licensing appeals go to the Administrative and Disciplinary Division of the District Court rather than to the state tribunal.
South Australia has no dedicated workplace surveillance statute, so workplace matters run on the Surveillance Devices Act 2016. The licensed investigator exceptions are available, and the section 9 restrictions on what may be done with the resulting material apply in full.
Section 4 prohibits use of a listening device on a private conversation, but section 4(2)(b)(iv) contains the same licensed inquiry work exception as the optical provision, again conditioned on the use being reasonably necessary to protect a person’s lawful interests.
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 SA 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 SA 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 findings written for a board or a general counsel, with the evidence for each conclusion identified and the limits of the enquiry stated. Where a matter needs to move to litigation or to a regulator, the material is already in a form that supports it.
Where we work in South Australia
Metropolitan Adelaide breaks into the CBD and inner ring through Adelaide, North Adelaide, Norwood, Unley and Prospect, the north through Salisbury, Playford, Elizabeth and Gawler, the north east through Tea Tree Gully, Campbelltown and Modbury, the eastern foothills through Burnside, Mitcham and Stirling, the west through Charles Sturt, West Torrens, Port Adelaide and Semaphore, and the south through Marion, Holdfast Bay, Onkaparinga, Noarlunga and Aldinga. Beyond the city we cover the Adelaide Hills, the Barossa, the Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island, the Limestone Coast, the Murray and Mallee, Yorke and Mid North, Eyre and Western, and the Far North.
Where the evidence ends up
- Magistrates Court of South Australia. Summary crime and smaller civil claims, with country registries at Berri, Mount Gambier, Murray Bridge, Port Augusta, Port Lincoln, Port Pirie and Whyalla.
- District Court of South Australia. Mid tier criminal and civil work, including the Administrative and Disciplinary Division.
- Supreme Court of South Australia. The highest state court, including the Court of Appeal.
- SACAT. Tenancy, guardianship, mental health and review of government decisions.
- South Australian Employment Tribunal. Workers compensation under the Return to Work Act 2014, the main forum for insurer commissioned evidence here.
- 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 SA rules.
Frequently asked questions
Can you investigate without staff knowing?
Frequently yes for counterparty and external matters. Where the subject is an employee, the position depends on the jurisdiction and can require a court authority before covert steps are taken. We establish that at the outset.
How do we keep this contained?
Narrow scope, a single point of contact, and reporting arrangements agreed in advance. Most leaks in corporate investigations come from the client side rather than the investigator, so containment is designed at the start.
Do you cover regional South Australia as well as Adelaide?
Yes. Adelaide 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 SA 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 Business Investigations in Melbourne, our South Australia coverage and our Adelaide page.