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 Hobart and throughout Tasmania, for private clients, law firms, insurers and employers.
How we run factual investigations in Hobart
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 Tasmania law means for this work
Tasmania licenses investigators under the Security and Investigations Agents Act 2002, administered by Consumer, Building and Occupational Services. The structure is an agent licence carrying endorsements, and investigation work sits under the inquiry agent endorsement. Holding a licence and holding the right endorsement are two different things, so it is worth asking specifically.
The Listening Devices Act 1991 is the one surveillance statute Tasmania does have. Section 5 prohibits recording a private conversation you are not a party to, and unlike the Northern Territory it also restricts a party recording their own conversation unless all principal parties consent or the lawful interests limb applies.
Sections 9 and 10 of the Listening Devices Act restrict publication. Section 9 covers material obtained unlawfully, and section 10 restricts even a party who recorded lawfully under the lawful interests limb from publishing the record.
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 TAS 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 TAS 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 Tasmania
Greater Hobart sits across the Derwent, and with only two river crossings that is the dominant constraint on any moving surveillance. The western shore runs through the city, Battery Point, Sandy Bay, South and West Hobart, New Town, Moonah, Glenorchy and Claremont. The eastern shore covers Bellerive, Howrah, Rosny, Lindisfarne, Warrane, Mornington, Lauderdale and Cambridge. Kingston and Blackmans Bay sit south, Brighton and Bridgewater north, and Sorell to the east. Beyond Hobart we work Launceston and the north, Devonport, Burnie and the north west coast, and centres including George Town, New Norfolk, Huonville, St Helens and Queenstown.
Where the evidence ends up
- Magistrates Court of Tasmania. Six divisions including Criminal and General, Civil, the Coroners Court and the Administrative Appeals Division. Civil claims to $15,000 as minor claims, $15,001 to $50,000 as civil claims, and above that only by consent.
- Supreme Court of Tasmania. Serious crime and major civil work, with registries at Hobart, Launceston and Burnie.
- TASCAT. Amalgamated nine former tribunals in 2021, including the Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Tribunal, which is where insurer commissioned evidence is tested 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 TAS 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 Tasmania as well as Hobart?
Yes. Hobart 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 TAS 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 Tasmania coverage.