As the festive season approaches, many people look forward to joyful family gatherings, exchanging gifts, and taking a well-earned break from work.
But for others, December brings challenges that require more than just holiday cheer to resolve.
For private investigators, the festive period is far from a time to slow down. In fact, it’s one of the busiest times of the year.
If you need a private investigator in Liverpool then here’s how our services continue to support clients when most people are winding down for the holidays.
1. Tracing Long-Lost Relatives: Reuniting Families for the Festive Season
While many people will be playing happy families around the dinner table, others are left wondering about the loved ones who aren’t there.
For those longing to reconnect with long-lost relatives, Christmas can be an emotional reminder of broken connections. Private investigators can step in to help trace missing family members, utilising specialist databases, investigative research, and discreet inquiries to track them down.
The festive season often stirs feelings of nostalgia and reflection, making it a perfect time for people to reach out to those they’ve lost contact with.
For some, finding a long-lost sibling, parent, or child can be the greatest gift of all. Our experience in tracking missing persons means we can – sometimes – make that dream a reality.
2. Cheating Partners: When Office Parties Turn Into Suspicion
While many couples will be buying each other expensive gifts this Christmas, not every partner will be faithful.
The season of Christmas parties, work events, and nights out provides ample opportunity for unfaithful partners to cross the line. In fact, it’s a peak period for infidelity, with alcohol, festive celebrations, and late nights creating a perfect storm for bad decisions.
Private investigators are often called upon to conduct discreet surveillance on behalf of suspicious partners. Using a combination of physical surveillance, social media monitoring, and intelligence gathering, PIs can provide concrete evidence to confirm or dispel a client’s fears.
Our findings can bring peace of mind or the proof someone needs to make difficult decisions about their future. It’s better to know, at least.
3. Child Maintenance Investigations: Supporting Parents Who Are Left Struggling
While many households have Christmas trees surrounded by gifts, some families face a different reality. Separated parents relying on maintenance payments may find that their former partners have stopped contributing, leaving them short of money when they need it most.
This financial pressure is especially difficult at Christmas, a time when parents want to provide for their children.
Private investigators can track down non-paying ex-partners and investigate whether they are hiding assets or misrepresenting their financial situation.
From locating hidden bank accounts to identifying where an ex is living with someone new undeclared, our services can provide vital evidence that parents can present in court. For some families, this investigation can mean the difference between a difficult Christmas and a joyful one.
4. Employee Absence Investigations: Catching Out the “Sick” Days
While many employers are happy to reward their hard-working staff with festive bonuses, others face a different issue — unauthorised employee absences.
During December, it’s not uncommon for employees to call in sick, especially after a big night out or as part of a plan to extend their holidays.
For businesses running on tight margins or those with key deadlines, absenteeism can cause major disruptions. Private investigators can conduct surveillance to determine if an employee’s absence is legitimate or if they’re feigning illness to enjoy a few extra days off.
By providing photographic or video evidence of employees engaging in non-permissible activities while “off sick,” employers can take action to protect their business.
5. Fly-Tipping Investigations: When “Christmas Clear-Outs” Lead to Illegal Dumping
In the run-up to Christmas, many people declutter their homes to make space for new gifts, but not everyone disposes of their waste responsibly. The result? Council officials often face a surge in fly-tipping incidents, with old sofas, broken furniture, and general household junk dumped in alleyways, parks, and countryside spots.
Private investigators can assist local councils in identifying fly-tippers. By using surveillance cameras, vehicle tracking, and on-the-ground investigations, we can track down those responsible.
The evidence we collect can be used to issue fines or prosecute offenders. In many cases, the mere knowledge that surveillance is in place can act as a deterrent.
6. Licensing Investigations: Are Retailers Checking IDs for Festive Booze?
The festive period sees a surge in alcohol sales as people stock up on wine, spirits, and champagne for Christmas parties.
For shop owners, this can be a highly profitable time — but it’s also a period when licensing laws are at risk of being breached. Retailers are legally required to verify the age of anyone buying alcohol, but some staff may cut corners during the Christmas rush.
Private investigators can conduct “test purchasing” investigations, where an underage person (working legally under controlled conditions) attempts to purchase alcohol.
If a store fails the test, it faces fines, penalties, or even the loss of its alcohol license. Our services help protect local communities and ensure that retailers are upholding their legal responsibilities.
7. Process Serving: When Solicitors Need Papers Delivered — Fast
Work doesn’t grind to a halt for solicitors in December. In fact, as people prepare for the new year, many want to resolve legal issues that have been lingering.
From divorce papers to court summonses, process serving becomes especially critical during the festive period.
Private investigators are often called upon to act as process servers. Our role is to locate individuals and serve them with legal documents — something that’s not always as simple as it sounds.
Many recipients will actively avoid being served, especially if they know legal action is pending. Private investigators use a blend of tracking, surveillance, and persistence to ensure these papers are delivered. The result? Solicitors meet their deadlines, and justice is not delayed.
The Work Doesn’t Stop at Christmas — And Neither Do We
While many people enjoy the warmth of a family Christmas, some face challenges that don’t disappear just because it’s December.
Whether it’s tracing a loved one, exposing infidelity, investigating maintenance dodgers, catching fraudulent employees, tracking down fly-tippers, ensuring retailers follow licensing laws, or serving legal papers — our work continues when others pause.
The festive season is a time of reflection, reunion, and (for some) reckoning. If you need help with any of these matters, don’t wait until January. Our experienced team of private investigators is ready to support you through the season’s most pressing challenges, giving you peace of mind just when you need it most. Just give us a call on 01772 334700.