In a Florida divorce or infidelity case, a private investigator lawfully documents where a spouse goes, who they meet, whether they live with someone, and how they spend. The result is a dated, court-ready report delivered to you or your attorney. Cost depends on hours in the field; typical ranges vary, and billing is usually hourly against a retainer.

This page is general information, not legal advice. For your own case, speak with a Florida family law attorney.

What does a private investigator do in a divorce case?

The work falls into four areas.

Surveillance. The investigator observes a spouse in public places and records what can be seen from there: arrivals and departures, vehicles, who they meet, and where they spend the night. Each observation is logged with date, time and location and supported with photographs or video where lawful. The value is a neutral record made by someone with no stake in the marriage.

Cohabitation and lifestyle documentation. Florida law allows a court to reduce or end alimony when the recipient is in a supportive relationship. The party asking for the change has to prove it. That proof is built over time: shared overnights, one address used by two people, shared vehicles, a household run together. A spouse who claims limited means but is seen living otherwise gives counsel something concrete to ask about.

Asset questions. Public records research can tie a spouse to real property, business filings, vehicles, vessels, liens and judgments. An investigator does not open bank records; those come through the attorney's discovery process or a forensic accountant. The investigator supplies the lead that discovery should ask about.

Delivery to counsel. Everything ends in a written report: a chronological log, the supporting images and video, and notes on how each item was obtained. When an attorney is involved, the investigator takes direction from counsel, the report goes to counsel, and the investigator can testify to what they personally observed. We cover that side in a separate article, How Private Investigators Work With Attorneys in Florida, and Whether Their Evidence Holds Up in Court.

This is general information, not legal advice.

Can you hire a private investigator to catch a cheating spouse?

Yes. You can hire a licensed investigator to observe your spouse, husband or wife, in public and document what they do. The investigator works for you, reports to you or your attorney, and the spouse is not told.

The investigator does not confront anyone or create a situation, only documents conduct that is already happening. And the investigation may show nothing. A spouse who is where they said they would be is also a finding.

This is general information, not legal advice.

Who can I hire to find out if my husband is cheating?

A licensed Florida private investigator, working through a licensed Florida agency. Ask for the agency and investigator license numbers and verify both before you pay a retainer. Our guide on how to hire a licensed private investigator in Florida covers what to verify and what to ask.

Do not hire anyone who offers to get into a phone, email or social media account, or to track a person, without lawful authority, or anyone selling a tracking app. Do not hire anyone who will not put a license number in writing. Getting into accounts or tracking a person without lawful authority is unlawful, and evidence obtained that way can damage the case of the person who ordered it. Asking a friend or relative to follow your spouse creates its own problems: it exposes them to legal risk, and their account carries little weight because they are not neutral.

This is general information, not legal advice.

How do private investigators find infidelity? What are the methods?

Only lawful ones. In practice that means:

  • Physical surveillance from public places. Stationary observation of a residence, workplace or meeting point, and mobile surveillance when the subject travels. A mobile follow often uses two investigators so the subject is not lost and the vehicles are not noticed.
  • Photography and video of what is visible in public. A car in a driveway, two people entering a restaurant, a hotel arrival. Recording into a private space, such as through a window, without lawful authority is off limits.
  • Pattern building. Repeated sessions show that "late meetings" fall on the same night each week, or that the same overnight address recurs. A single photograph proves less than a dated pattern.
  • Public records and open-source research. Who owns the vehicle or residence the spouse visits, and what has been posted publicly.

Investigators do not access a spouse's phone, email or online accounts, and no one may authorize tracking, recording or account access without lawful authority. For the full list of what a Florida investigator can and cannot do, see what a private investigator can and cannot do in Florida.

This is general information, not legal advice.

How long does an infidelity investigation take?

It depends on how much you already know. If you can name a day, a time and a pattern, a few targeted surveillance sessions may be enough. If you have a suspicion but no specifics, it takes longer to work out where and when to watch. Infidelity assignments can run from a few days to several weeks. Cohabitation documentation often runs longer, because the aim is a pattern of overnights over time rather than a single event.

When would a spouse hire a PI for infidelity?

Before deciding anything. Some people want facts before they confront a spouse or talk to a lawyer. Florida is a no-fault divorce state, so proof of adultery is not required to get a divorce, but many people still want to know.

After a divorce is filed, through counsel. A Florida court may consider adultery when it decides alimony, and a parent's conduct can matter to time-sharing when it affects the child. Whether either applies is your attorney's call. If it does, the attorney can aim the investigation at what the case needs, which saves hours.

After the divorce. An alimony recipient who moves in with a new partner may be in a supportive relationship. Documenting it is a common reason former spouses hire an investigator.

If you have any concern for your safety, raise it with your attorney and, if needed, law enforcement before anything else.

This is general information, not legal advice.

How much is a private investigator for cheating on a spouse, for a divorce, or for infidelity?

These are three names for the same job, and the label does not set the price. The hours do. Typical ranges vary by market, agency, number of investigators, travel and equipment, so we do not quote a figure here. What we can explain is how fees are structured.

Hourly. Surveillance is usually billed per investigator per hour, often with a minimum block, plus expenses such as mileage and tolls. Two investigators cost more per hour than one but lose the subject less often, which can mean fewer repeated sessions.

Retainer. Agencies commonly take a deposit up front and draw hours against it. Get the scope in writing: what will be watched, when, for how many hours, and how unused retainer is handled.

Flat fee. Defined tasks with a known amount of work can be priced flat: records research or a background report. Our $350 Comprehensive Intelligence Dossier is a flat-fee product. A background check is usually priced the same way, and what drives that price is covered in what a private investigator background check costs in Florida. Surveillance is not usually priced flat, because nobody can know in advance how many hours it takes to document a pattern.

What lowers cost: specific information from you, attorney direction, and reviewing results after each block. What raises it: vague information, a subject who travels, and an open-ended scope.

How much does a private investigator cost for a custody-related matter?

Typical ranges vary. Ask what specific question the work is intended to answer, which activities are within scope, how field time and reporting are billed, and whether testimony would be a separate cost. No investigation guarantees a parenting outcome. The general cost guide explains how to compare the proposed work and budget.

How legal is it to use a PI in divorce? Is it illegal to hire a PI to follow your spouse?

As a general matter, hiring a licensed investigator is lawful, and so is having your spouse observed and photographed in public places. What matters is the method. An unlawful method stays unlawful when someone else is paid to use it; the boundaries are set out in what a private investigator can and cannot do in Florida.

Whether the evidence holds up is covered in How Private Investigators Work With Attorneys in Florida. The ways a badly run investigation hurts the person who ordered it are covered in whether hiring a private investigator is worth it in Florida.

This is general information, not legal advice.

Is cheating on your spouse illegal in Florida? Can I sue my wife for cheating?

Florida is a no-fault divorce state. A spouse does not have to prove adultery to be granted a divorce. The court may consider adultery when deciding alimony, and a parent's conduct in time-sharing when that conduct affects the child. A divorce is a civil matter, and how adultery figures in one is a question for your attorney.

As for suing, Florida is among the states that abolished the older civil claims known as alienation of affection and criminal conversation. A lawsuit against a spouse or a third party for the affair itself is therefore generally not available here. Whether any other claim exists on your facts is for counsel to say.

This is general information, not legal advice.

Can the investigator serve the divorce papers?

No. Process service is not offered. Ask your attorney how the papers will be served.

Which Florida rules apply to a divorce or infidelity investigation?

This is general information, not legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

The answers below are general information, not legal advice.

How much is a private investigator for cheating on a spouse?
Typical ranges vary. Surveillance is billed hourly per investigator, usually against a retainer, plus expenses. The hours needed to document a pattern set the total, not the label on the case.

Can you hire a private investigator to catch a cheating spouse?
Yes. A licensed investigator can lawfully observe your spouse in public and document where they go and who they meet. The investigator does not confront anyone or stage anything.

Who can I hire to find out if my husband is cheating?
A licensed Florida private investigator working through a Class A licensed agency. Verify both license numbers with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services before paying a retainer.

How long does an infidelity investigation take?
Anywhere from a few days to several weeks, depending on how specific your information is. Cohabitation documentation often takes longer because it has to show a pattern over time.

Is cheating on your spouse illegal in FL?
Florida is a no-fault divorce state, so adultery does not have to be proven to get a divorce, though a court may consider it for alimony. Ask an attorney how any of this applies to you.

Do divorce lawyers use private investigators?
Yes. How attorneys direct investigators is covered in How Private Investigators Work With Attorneys in Florida.

This is general information, not legal advice.

For billing models and budget questions, see how much a private investigator costs in Florida.

For the service category, see surveillance and field operations.

About Risk Intell Group

Risk Intell Group is the brand through which clients across Florida, including Miami, Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville, arrange investigative services. The licensed investigators who fulfil that work hold to one standard: actionable intelligence, court-ready documentation, complete discretion. The services available include the Comprehensive Intelligence Dossier, Litigation Support & Attorney Services, Asset & Judgment Investigations, and TSCM Bug Sweeps & Counter-Surveillance. The licensed agency also fulfils Corporate Due Diligence & Principal Vetting, Fraud Investigations, and Surveillance & Field Operations. We are trusted by corporate counsel, family law attorneys, and private clients, and we offer volume agreements for law firms. Investigative services are fulfilled by a licensed Florida Class A private investigative agency. Your assigned agency is identified before investigative work begins. This article is general information, not legal advice. To discuss your matter with a licensed investigator, start a confidential intake.