Can a Private Investigator Use GPS Tracking? What’s Legal in 2025
GPS tracking feels like something out of a thriller movie, but in reality it’s one of the most restricted investigative...
Florida attorneys understand something most people do not. A skilled private investigator can quietly change the outcome of a case.
From Miami to Tampa, Orlando to Jacksonville and throughout Central and North Florida, law firms rely on licensed investigators to uncover facts, verify claims, locate witnesses, and gather evidence that survives courtroom scrutiny.
Because Florida’s legal system is evidence driven and highly procedural, attorneys often turn to private investigators for the kind of fieldwork, surveillance, and verification that law offices do not have the time, tools, or licensing to handle internally.
This guide explains how investigators support Florida attorneys and why this partnership has become a hidden advantage in litigation, family law, and every kind of legal battle an attorney may face.
Evidence in Florida must meet strict admissibility rules under state law and the Federal Rules of Evidence. You can review those standards here:
https://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/fre
A Florida licensed private investigator understands how to collect and document information that can stand up in:
• family court
• criminal court
• civil litigation
• dependency cases
• probate and estate disputes
Investigators assist attorneys by gathering:
• surveillance footage taken legally from public locations
• photos and videos documenting behavior, incidents, and interactions
• property and asset documentation
• detailed timelines, reports, and field observations
• social media and online activity that is publicly available
All investigative work must comply with Florida Statute Chapter 493, which governs licensing and investigative conduct statewide. You can review the statute here:
Improperly collected evidence such as illegal audio recordings or trespass based surveillance can be excluded. This is one of the main reasons attorneys prefer working with professionals who know exactly what Florida courts permit in a contested legal battle.
For more on what can be obtained legally, see:
Florida is a mobile state. Witnesses:
• move between counties
• change phone numbers and jobs
• leave the state seasonally
• ignore calls from unknown numbers
• actively avoid involvement in litigation
Injury cases, criminal cases, family law disputes, and civil suits often stall because key witnesses are missing or unresponsive.
Private investigators help attorneys by:
• locating hard to find individuals using skip tracing and proprietary databases
• running address histories and contact traces
• verifying identities and relationships
• conducting interviews and obtaining recorded or written statements
• preparing statements in attorney ready formats
In many Florida child custody disputes, witness observations and statements play a central role in showing stability, safety, or actual day to day parental involvement.
Learn more here: child custody
When attorneys need to locate a reluctant witness fast, they often rely on the same skills used to locate someone who does not want to be found: locate someone
Online background sites rarely go deep enough for serious litigation. A licensed investigator can access and interpret more complete information, which is vital when credibility is on the line in court.
Investigators commonly uncover:
• Florida criminal history and out of state offenses
• civil court records involving past lawsuits
• domestic violence injunctions and restraining orders
• eviction and landlord tenant disputes
• professional license status and discipline
• liens, judgments, and bankruptcy filings
• financial red flags that suggest hidden pressure or motive
• social media patterns that contradict sworn statements
This information helps attorneys prepare for:
• depositions
• cross examination
• impeachment of a witness
• settlement strategy
Many of these findings overlap with the same red flags that show up during detailed background investigations: red flags
Surveillance is one of the most powerful tools in a Florida investigator’s toolkit when it is done correctly and within the law.
Attorneys often request surveillance for:
• child custody or timesharing disputes
• alimony, cohabitation, or lifestyle verification
• insurance fraud and exaggerated injury claims
• personal injury and premises liability cases
• suspected misconduct, threats, or harassment
• criminal defense verification of events and timelines
Florida investigators follow strict rules:
• no recording of private conversations without consent because Florida is a two party consent state
• no trespassing on private property under Florida Statute 810
• no illegal placement of GPS devices on vehicles the client does not own
• surveillance must be discreet, non harassing, and limited to public vantage points
Judges in different Florida counties sometimes view surveillance differently, which is why attorneys value investigators who understand local expectations and how to present surveillance in a way that supports the case.
Florida’s public records system gives investigators powerful tools that support financial and family law litigation. Attorneys use asset and financial investigations to:
• confirm or challenge financial affidavits in divorce cases
• support child support enforcement
• uncover hidden assets in fraud or recovery cases
• understand estate structures in probate disputes
Investigators can help attorneys trace:
• real estate holdings
• business entities and corporate filings
• vehicles and recreational assets
• liens and judgments
• bankruptcy filings and prior financial events
• signs of concealed income or side businesses
Because Florida does not use a single fixed alimony formula, clear visibility into assets and income often becomes central to negotiation and courtroom argument.
Improper service can delay or even collapse a case. Florida requires service of process to meet specific procedural rules. For reference, you can review general information from the United States Marshals Service here:
https://www.usmarshals.gov/process
Private investigators help attorneys with:
• finding and serving defendants who are actively avoiding service
• confirming identity before service
• documenting each attempt with dates, times, and details
• using substituted or alternative service methods when allowed
• filing affidavits that comply with Florida requirements
This is especially important in:
• eviction and landlord tenant cases
• custody and family law hearings
• injunctions and restraining orders
• civil lawsuits involving unstable or unreachable parties
Florida attorneys trust licensed investigators registered under Chapter 493 because they provide:
• evidence gathered in a way that can be admitted in court
• methods that follow both state law and federal legal standards
• faster on the ground work than most law firms can handle in house
• access to databases and investigative tools reserved for the investigative field
• knowledge of local judges, counties, and practical courtroom expectations
• support that can be structured under attorney work product or privilege
When a private investigator works directly under an attorney’s direction, communications and findings may be protected in ways that traditional client initiated investigations are not. This can be an important safeguard in sensitive or high stakes matters.
For attorneys or clients who want to understand typical pricing and structure, you can review more information here: Private Investigators
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