Private Investigator Reading

Professional covert surveillance is one of the most effective investigative tools available and is one of our most frequently requested services in Reading.

Our investigators carry out mobile and static surveillance operations across RG postcodes, capturing high-quality photographic and video evidence suitable for personal, family, employment, or legal proceedings.

Reading’s mix of residential suburbs, riverside properties along the Thames, commercial centres, and busy transport links (including Reading Station, the M4, and A33) presents specific operational challenges.

We are SFJ RQF Level 4 trained in surveillance and have extensive experience operating throughout Reading and the surrounding areas.

Surveillance services in Reading include:

• Matrimonial and infidelity surveillance
• Cohabitation evidence gathering for family court and financial remedy proceedings
• Insurance and personal injury claim surveillance
• Employee sickness, absence, and misconduct surveillance
• Corporate and competitor activity monitoring
• Vehicle tracking and GPS surveillance operations
• Drone-assisted surveillance where operationally appropriate
• Pre-nuptial and pre-relationship background surveillance
• Nanny and domestic staff monitoring
• General evidence gathering for legal and civil proceedings

  👉  Read more about our surveillance process here 

Matrimonial investigations are a specialised and sensitive service, requested by private clients and family law solicitors across Reading and Berkshire.

When a relationship breakdown involves allegations of unreasonable behaviour, infidelity, or financial misconduct, professionally gathered evidence can be decisive in court proceedings or negotiation.

Matrimonial investigation services in Reading include:

• Infidelity and cheating partner investigations
• Cohabitation evidence - confirming whether a former partner is living with a new partner, relevant to spousal maintenance and financial remedy orders
• Divorce and separation evidence gathering
• Child custody and child welfare evidence
• Pre-nuptial background, financial, and lifestyle checks before marriage
• Internet and online dating background investigations - verifying identity and authenticity
• Peace of mind investigations for clients with concerns but unsure of what they need

Every matrimonial case in Reading is handled with the care, discretion, and sensitivity the circumstances demand.

Asset tracing in Reading is a specialised service frequently requested by private clients, solicitors, debt recovery firms, and businesses seeking enforcement following a court judgment.

SJC Investigations carries out lawful and compliant investigations to determine what assets exist and where they are held across Reading and the surrounding RG postcode areas.

Asset tracing services in Reading include:

• Property and land registry searches
• Divorce and Form E investigations
• Company directorship and business interest checks
• Statements of means - financial profiling to identify assets and liabilities
• Pre-sue status enquiries - verifying financial standing and locatability before proceedings
• Pre-litigation asset checks - assessing whether enforcement is viable before issuing a claim
• Lifestyle and financial profiling
• Asset recovery support for solicitors and enforcement agents
• Generic credit score reporting
• Linked, current, and historic property associations – both owned and rented

Reading’s busy commercial sector and dynamic property market create strong demand for background checks and due diligence investigations.

We provide individuals, landlords, and businesses with the insight they need to make informed and confident decisions.

Due diligence services in Reading include:

• Pre-employment screening and identity verification
• CV and qualification checks
• Criminal record and financial history investigations
• Tenant screening and landlord checks
• Business partner and director due diligence
• Pre-nuptial and pre-marriage background investigations
• Internet and online dating identity verification
• Domestic staff and nanny background checks
• Pre-sue status enquiries for solicitors and businesses before legal action
• Statements of means – financial checks for debt recovery and litigation
• Lifestyle assessments and financial profiling

A significant amount of critical evidence is left behind online. 

Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) and digital profiling are specialist services used by private clients, businesses, and legal professionals to uncover hidden histories, verify backgrounds, and locate vital information across the digital landscape.

SJC Investigations conducts deep, legally compliant online intelligence gathering to map out a subject's digital footprint, track online activity, and verify identities across Reading and the wider UK.

Our OSINT and digital investigation services include:

• Proving hidden relationships, activities, or alternative lifestyles through social media tracking

• Unmasking the real people behind anonymous accounts, fake profiles, and online trolls

• Digging into a person's online past to find deleted posts, old forums, and forgotten digital history

• Exposing catfishes and vetting people met through online dating apps before you meet them

• Deep-dive web searches to uncover hidden forum posts, marketplace listings, or leaked data

• Verifying if someone is who they claim to be online regarding their job, qualifications, or background

• Tracking down missing people or witnesses using the digital trails they leave behind

• Finding the source of online harassment, cyberstalking, or smear campaigns targeting you or your business

Every digital investigation is executed with complete anonymity, ensuring our deep-dive research leaves absolutely no footprint behind.

Tracing individuals in Reading can be challenging due to its mix of long-term residents, commuters, students, and newcomers, alongside fast-moving urban areas and excellent transport links to London. 

Successfully locating someone often requires access to professional databases and real investigative experience.

Our GDPR-compliant and legally sound tracing services in Reading include:

• Current address searches – establishing verified locations for individuals when lawful and proportionate 
• Debtor tracing – finding people who have moved to avoid financial responsibilities 
• Missing person investigations – locating estranged family members, friends, or long-lost contacts 
• Witness tracing – identifying and contacting witnesses for civil, family, or criminal proceedings 
• Beneficiary and estate tracing – locating heirs for probate or intestacy matters 
• Adoption and family reconnection enquiries – sensitively reconnecting adopted individuals with birth families 
• Address verification for legal processes – confirming occupancy before serving documents 
• Tenant tracing for landlords and letting agencies – locating former or absconded tenants 
• Hard-to-find individuals – tracking those deliberately avoiding contact 

We operate across all of Reading and Berkshire, including Shinfield, Sonning, Charvil, Battle, Pangbourne, and Emmer Green, providing fast, reliable, and discreet tracing solutions.

SJC Investigations delivers fast, professional, and fully compliant process serving across Reading (RG) and the wider Berkshire area, handling routine, urgent, and evasive serves with complete proof of service in line with the Civil Procedure Rules.

Process serving in Reading includes:

• County Court, High Court, and Family Court documents
• Injunctions, court orders, and legal applications
• Statutory demands and bankruptcy petitions
• Divorce and family law documents
• Tenancy notices and landlord documentation
• Full affidavit or certificate of service provided
• 
  

  👉  Read more about our process serving here 

Reading is a major commercial hub in the Thames Valley, home to the UK headquarters of global companies as well as a strong network of SMEs and growing businesses.

Corporate and workplace investigations form a key part of our work across Reading and surrounding RG postcode areas.

Corporate investigation services in Reading include:

• Employee misconduct, gross misconduct, and disciplinary investigations
• Internal fraud detection and financial investigations
• Theft, stock loss, and internal shrinkage investigations
• Data breaches and intellectual property theft investigations
• Covert workplace surveillance carried out lawfully and in line with employment law
• Competitor intelligence and commercial risk investigations
• Verification of employee sickness and long term absence
• HR compliant reporting and evidence collection for disciplinary action

We provide advanced technical investigation services in Reading, including lawful vehicle tracking, CCTV review and analysis, OSINT intelligence gathering, social media investigations, bug detection sweeps, counter surveillance, and digital forensic support.

Our digital investigations in Reading assist both private and corporate clients, delivering clear intelligence and evidential insight where required.

Not every client approaching a private investigator in Reading knows exactly which service they require at the outset.

If you have concerns about a partner, family member, business contact, or a situation at home or work, but are unsure what type of investigation is appropriate, a peace of mind investigation is often the best place to start.

We take the time to understand your situation, provide clear and honest guidance, and only recommend investigative work where it is genuinely justified and likely to deliver results.

There is no obligation at the consultation stage, and all enquiries are handled in strict confidence from the very first point of contact.   

SJC Investigations works extensively with solicitors, law firms, and legal professionals across Reading, Berkshire, and the wider South East.

We understand the evidential standards required for court proceedings and ensure all enquiries are conducted in a compliant, structured manner with full court admissibility.

Our approach is designed to reduce friction for legal teams:
· We keep solicitor involvement to a minimum, avoiding lengthy onboarding packs or unnecessary administrative steps.

· To proceed, we issue a clear instruction email. Once confirmed, work begins without delay.

· We do not require upfront payment from solicitors or legal practices. All instructions are invoiced on completion, with standard 7 day payment terms, allowing matters to progress efficiently without financial delay.

Specialist legal investigation services in Reading include:

• People tracing - locating current addresses, telephone numbers, and email addresses
• Witness, debtor, and beneficiary tracing - establishing whereabouts for legal and enforcement purposes
• Probate and beneficiary tracing - confirming heirs in estate and intestacy matters
• Asset tracing and enforcement support – identifying property, company interests, and recoverable assets
• Pre-sue status enquiries - assessing locatability and financial standing prior to proceedings
• Statements of means - financial profiling to support enforcement and recovery action
• Process serving - CPR compliant service of documents with full proof of service
• Matrimonial and cohabitation surveillance – evidential support for divorce and financial remedy cases
• Due diligence investigations - background and integrity checks on individuals and entities
• Insurance and claims surveillance - evidential reporting for litigation and dispute resolution
• Witness statement taking - professionally prepared statements suitable for court use
• Court ready reporting - clear, structured documentation prepared for legal proceedings

Whether you require urgent process serving in Reading, pre litigation tracing, or ongoing investigative support, SJC Investigations provides fast, discreet, and fully compliant services tailored to the needs of the legal profession.

We work closely with businesses in Reading, from small local firms to large corporate organisations, providing discreet and commercially focused investigations to protect assets, staff, and reputation.

Our approach is straightforward and results driven, allowing businesses to act quickly when issues arise with minimal disruption to operations.

Specialist business investigation services in Reading include:

• Employee misconduct investigations - theft, fraud, absenteeism, and disciplinary matters
• Corporate surveillance - monitoring employees or third parties where necessary
• Due diligence checks - background investigations on staff, partners, or acquisitions
• Fraud investigations - internal and external fraud detection and evidence gathering
• Insurance and claims investigations - verifying suspicious or high value claims
• Asset and financial checks - identifying hidden assets or financial irregularities
• CCTV trawling and evidence gathering - supporting internal investigations
• Process serving and legal support - assisting with employment or commercial disputes
• Workplace dispute investigations - evidence for HR or tribunal proceedings
• People tracing - locating current addresses, telephone numbers, and email addresses

Whether you are dealing with employee issues, fraud concerns, or pre litigation matters in Reading, SJC Investigations provides discreet, professional, and effective investigative support tailored to your business needs.

 Our minimum fee for any private investigation service starts from £250.

Yes. Free consultations are always available via phone, WhatsApp, email, or video call - whichever you prefer.

No. We cover Reading, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, London, and the entire UK.

Yes. We provide private, corporate and legal investigations, as well as niche and peace of mind. See our full services list for details.

Yes. Our Reading investigators specialise in person and address tracing, debtor location, and probate/beneficiary searches across the entire UK. 

Absolutely yes. All investigations are legal, GDPR-compliant, discreet, confidential and prepared to the highest evidential standards for court or solicitor use.

Yes. We attempt to provide realistic, tailored quotes and will always do our best to work within your budget without compromising quality or discretion. 

Urgent cases can begin the same day, 24/7, with rapid deployment in and around Reading.