Frequently asked questions

Yes. The initial consultation is free and confidential. The existence of your case, your identity, and anything you tell us are not disclosed to anyone. If you are worried about a shared email account or phone plan, say so on the first call — we will agree a safe way to reach you before anything else happens.

It depends entirely on the work involved. Surveillance is priced by the hour plus expenses; records and background research are usually a flat fee; larger civil and criminal matters are scoped against a retainer. You receive a written scope and rate before any work begins, and you will not be billed for hours that were not agreed.

A background or records assignment is often complete within a few business days. Infidelity and custody surveillance typically requires several sessions across one to three weeks, because the point is to establish a pattern rather than capture a single evening. Criminal and civil investigations run to the case schedule. You will get a realistic estimate up front and progress updates throughout.

That is how it is built. Reports, surveillance logs, photographs, and video are documented and maintained so they can be introduced as exhibits, and Reuben Young is available to testify in deposition or at hearing. Evidence obtained unlawfully is not admissible and can expose the client to liability — which is exactly why this firm will not gather it.

A licensed investigator may conduct surveillance from public and lawfully accessible places, photograph and record what is in plain view, interview willing witnesses, search public records and lawful databases, and conduct skip tracing and process service. An investigator may not trespass, wiretap, hack accounts or devices, place trackers on vehicles they have no legal right to, impersonate law enforcement, or obtain protected financial, medical, or telephone records through pretext. Private investigation in this state is regulated under N.C.G.S. Chapter 74C.

Not from us. Field work is conducted covertly and from lawful vantage points, and a subject who notices surveillance is a failed operation by our standard. Note that if the evidence is later filed with a court or produced in litigation, it becomes part of that proceeding — your attorney will advise on timing.

No. Private individuals retain us directly all the time, particularly for infidelity, custody, and background matters. If your situation is heading toward litigation, we will say so, and we work alongside your attorney once you have one.

Financial account contents, telephone call records, and the contents of someone's phone or email are protected by federal and state law. Obtaining them by pretext or by accessing a device without authority is a crime, and no legitimate firm will do it. What we can lawfully do is research assets that appear in public records — property, business interests, judgments, liens, and vehicles — and document behaviour in the field. Anything held by the opposing party is properly obtained through discovery or subpoena by your attorney.

Names, dates of birth if known, addresses, vehicle descriptions, employment details, daily patterns, photographs of the subject, and a clear statement of what you are trying to establish. Bring whatever you have — incomplete information is normal, and part of our job is filling the gaps.

Yes. The office is in North Raleigh and most work is in Wake and surrounding counties, but we take assignments across North Carolina and handle out-of-state matters on request, including through vetted licensed investigators in other jurisdictions where local licensure is required.

Ask for the license number and verify it with the North Carolina Private Protective Services Board. Young & Associates Investigations, LLC operates under North Carolina PI license #764313, and Reuben Young is a member of the North Carolina Association of Private Investigators. Any firm that will not give you a license number should not be given your money.