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 Sydney and throughout New South Wales, for private clients, law firms, insurers and employers.
How we run factual investigations in Sydney
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 New South Wales law means for this work
Investigation work in New South Wales requires a Class 2E licence under the Security Industry Act 1997, administered by NSW Police through the Security Licensing and Enforcement Directorate. The old Commercial Agents and Private Inquiry Agents Act 2004 was repealed on 1 July 2022, so a licence issued under that Act is no longer the relevant authority. Ask any operator what they hold and when it was issued.
Section 7 prohibits recording or monitoring a private conversation you are not a party to. There are exceptions where all principal parties consent, or where one principal party consents and the recording is reasonably necessary to protect that party’s lawful interests.
Section 11 makes it a separate offence to publish or communicate a private conversation, or a record or report of an activity, obtained in contravention of the Act. Sections 14A to 14C, which commenced on 3 July 2026, added public interest exceptions covering material given to a law enforcement agency and material already published to the public.
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 NSW 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 NSW 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 New South Wales
Sydney divides operationally into the CBD and inner south, the inner west, the eastern suburbs, the lower and upper north shore, the northern beaches, the Hills district, Parramatta and the greater west through Blacktown and Penrith, the south west through Liverpool and Macarthur, and the south through St George and the Sutherland Shire. Beyond the metropolitan area we work Newcastle and the Hunter, Wollongong and the Illawarra, the Central Coast, the mid north coast, the northern rivers, New England, the central west and the Riverina.
Where the evidence ends up
- Local Court of New South Wales. Summary crime, apprehended violence orders and civil claims to $100,000.
- District Court of New South Wales. Indictable crime other than murder and treason, civil claims to $1.25 million, and unlimited jurisdiction for motor accident claims.
- Supreme Court of New South Wales. Unlimited civil jurisdiction and the most serious criminal matters.
- NCAT. Tenancy, consumer and commercial disputes, guardianship and occupational discipline.
- Personal Injury Commission. Motor accidents and workers compensation, where most insurer commissioned evidence in this state is tested.
- 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 NSW 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 New South Wales as well as Sydney?
Yes. Sydney 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 NSW 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 New South Wales coverage and our Sydney page.