Investigations/Surveillance, Background & OSINT
When you need proof

Eyes in the field when you need proof, not guesses

Licensed surveillance, stakeouts that end in a serve, background investigations & open-source intelligence — delivered as evidence.

Family law, insurance and injury defense, workers' compensation, custody and welfare, and business disputes all turn on what actually happened, not what someone says happened. Our licensed investigators document it in the field and online, and deliver it in a form you can put in front of a judge, an adjuster, or an opposing party.

✔ TX PI License #A29721001 ✔ Statewide & nationwide reach through licensed partner investigators ✔ Court-ready deliverables
Surveillance & stakeouts

Documented, timestamped, admissible

Mobile and stationary surveillance by licensed investigators, with the activity log, photographs, and video delivered together so the report and the evidence tell the same story.

Every engagement includes:

  • Mobile and stationary surveillance by licensed investigators
  • Timestamped activity log and detailed written report
  • Photo and video evidence with native files delivered
  • Two-investigator coverage available for moving or high-risk subjects
  • Optional live text status updates from the field
  • Investigator available for deposition and hearing testimony
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License Plate Tracking (LPR)

A historical lookup of where the subject's plate has been recorded — overnight, during the workday, and on repeat — so the first hour of surveillance is pointed at the right place. Offered with our locates.

See license plate tracking →
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Surveillance that ends in a serve

Stakeout & Serve

For the defendant who is never home when the server knocks. A licensed investigator sets up on the confirmed address or the pattern location, waits for the subject to appear, confirms identity, and the papers are served personally on the spot — the surveillance log and the return of service delivered together.

  • Planned from the locate and the plate history. We sit where the pattern says the subject will be, not where the file says they live.
  • Served by a Texas-certified process server on site. Identity confirmed on approach, the serve documented with time, place, and description, and video available as an add-on.
  • Billed hourly with a minimum. Live text updates from the field while the investigator is on post, so counsel knows the moment it's done.
  • A non-serve still builds the record. The timestamped log becomes the attempt record for a Rule 106(b) substitute-service affidavit — nothing is wasted.
Request Stakeout & Serve
Camera, binoculars, and notebook on the seat of an investigator's vehicle
Investigator reviewing printed records beside a laptop
Background & intelligence

Know who you're dealing with before you're across the table

Records, history, affiliations, and online activity — gathered lawfully, preserved properly, and synthesized so the pattern is visible instead of buried in a stack of printouts.

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Background Investigations

Full-scope background on an individual or business — public records, litigation history, affiliations, licensing, and red flags — for pre-litigation, pre-transaction, and partnership decisions.

Quoted per matter
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Social Media / OSINT

Open-source and social media intelligence — activity, connections, locations, and posts captured with dates, source URLs, and attribution, and preserved for litigation and claims defense.

Quoted per matter
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Comprehensive Intelligence Report

Everything collected — field, records, and open-source — synthesized into one narrative report: timeline, associations map, pattern flags, and a full source log. Drafted with AI-assisted analysis, then reviewed and signed by a licensed investigator who stands behind every line.

Quoted per matter

Preserved so it holds up. Online evidence disappears. Every capture we take carries the source URL, the capture timestamp, and attribution to the account — so a post that's deleted next week is still usable next year. Background and OSINT work is not a consumer report and is performed for permissible purposes only.

Request background or OSINT
Built for

The matters where documented conduct decides the outcome.

Family law & custodyCohabitation, conduct, and welfare concerns documented for temporary orders and final hearings.
Insurance & injury defenseActivity-level surveillance and social media captures that test the claimed limitations.
Workers' compensationField documentation of activity during claimed disability periods.
Business due diligenceBackground on partners, principals, and counterparties before the deal or the suit.
Options & Add-Ons

Layer these onto any field assignment

Premium options that attach to service of process, substitute-service attempts, locates, and surveillance to give you documentation and real-time visibility in the field.

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Video Documentation

Service of process or field investigation captured on timestamped video — an evidentiary record of the attempt or serve, ready for your file and the court.

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Live Field Updates

Optional real-time status texts every 30–60 minutes while an investigator or server is actively working the assignment, so you always know where things stand.

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Rush & Expedited

Move to the front of the line when timing is critical. Choose the turnaround that fits your deadline:

ImmediateStarted within hours of order
Same-DayCompleted same business day
Next-DayDelivered by next business day
PriorityExpedited ahead of standard queue

Rush availability varies by service and subject; confirmed at quote.

Get started

Request surveillance or intelligence

Tell us the subject, the objective, and the window you care about. We'll scope the coverage and send a per-matter quote. Prefer email? Reach us at investigations@encorelegalprocess.com.

Need to talk it through first?

Schedule a consultation with our investigations team to scope a complex matter or strategy. A consultation fee applies and may be waived or applied toward the cost of certain services.

Schedule a consultation

Have a single matter? Use our intake form

Our step-by-step intake walks you through everything we need for one case, including subject details and prior service attempts. This quote request is better for firms with ongoing or high-volume needs.

Open the intake form →
  • Licensed investigators, timestamped reports, native evidence files
  • Two-investigator coverage for moving or high-risk subjects
  • Online evidence preserved with source and timestamp
  • Investigator available for deposition and hearing

Investigations services require a permissible purpose. Our team will confirm scope and pricing before any work begins.

Put proof in the file

Licensed field surveillance, background investigations, and open-source intelligence — documented the way courts and adjusters expect.

Request surveillance
A note on permissible use. Encore Legal Investigations provides investigative services to attorneys, businesses, and qualified clients with a permissible purpose under applicable law. Our services are not consumer reports and may not be used to determine eligibility for credit, insurance, employment, or housing under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Financial searches are conducted lawfully under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) with no pretexting; license-plate-recognition and motor-vehicle data are used only for purposes permitted under the Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DPPA). Asset search results and availability vary by subject and jurisdiction; "hit" and "no-hit" fees are confirmed in each quote. Investigations are conducted under Texas Private Investigator License #A29721001.

A note on affidavits and alternative service. Encore prepares factual investigative affidavits describing the searches performed and the results obtained. Where requested, we also prepare draft motions and proposed orders at the direction of counsel, for counsel's review, revision, and signature. We are not a law firm, do not provide legal advice, do not represent parties, and do not determine whether alternative service is available in your matter. Authorization for substituted, electronic, publication, or posted service rests solely with the court, and rule requirements, local rules, and standing orders vary by court and case type. Rule references on this site are to the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure and are provided for identification only. Counsel remains responsible for the content of any filing and for compliance with the applicable rules.

Sales tax. Applicable Texas state and local sales tax is added to taxable services. Certain out-of-state matters may be exempt, and valid exemption or resale certificates are accepted where applicable. Sales tax, if any, is reflected on your quote and invoice.
5444 Westheimer Rd, Suite 1000

Houston, TX 77056
(800) 914-0365

TX PI License #A29721001
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Texas-Based · Nationwide Coverage · Licensed & Insured