Litigation Support · Tennessee Statewide
The Private Investigator for Attorneys Across Tennessee
Delator Group is a licensed Tennessee investigation firm built to support law firms. We locate witnesses, document claimants, trace assets, serve process and build court-ready files in all 95 counties, with transparent up-front pricing and direct access to leadership. Plaintiff or defense, civil or criminal, your case gets a vetted investigator, not an unknown freelancer.
- Licensed, insured investigators in 95 counties
- Court-ready reports and exhibit formatting
- Talk directly to leadership, not dispatch
- 95Tennessee counties covered
- 75+Designated investigative specialties
- 24/7Availability for active matters
- 9Core litigation support service areas
Quick answer
What does a private investigator do for attorneys?
A private investigator for attorneys gathers the facts a legal team cannot efficiently collect itself: locating and interviewing witnesses, surveillance, background and asset research, scene documentation and process service. In Tennessee, the work must be done by a licensed investigator and delivered in a format that holds up in discovery, depositions and trial.
01Why Law Firms Call Us
One Investigation Partner for Every Tennessee Courtroom
Most Tennessee law firms have lived the same problem: a solid investigator in Nashville, nobody reliable in Memphis, and a cold call to a stranger when a witness turns up in Johnson City. Delator Group was built to close that gap. We operate a centralized, statewide network of licensed investigators who work under one set of standards, one chain of command and one reporting format, so your file looks the same whether the work happened in Davidson, Shelby, Knox or Hamilton County.
Our founding leadership comes from the U.S. military and federal law enforcement. That background shows up in how we plan, document and supervise field work. Every assignment has a defined objective, every investigator knows who they report to, and every deliverable is reviewed before it reaches your desk. When you need a private investigator for attorneys who understands evidentiary standards rather than just camera settings, that discipline matters.
- Licensed, insured Tennessee investigators
- Every network member is vetted before joining; no subcontracting to unvetted freelancers
- Plaintiff and defense support across civil, criminal, family and commercial matters
- Direct line to the investigative team and leadership, with no front-desk filtering
02What We Handle
Litigation Support Investigations From Intake to Trial
Attorneys bring us in at every stage of a matter. Before filing, we help you test a client's story, identify defendants and locate assets worth pursuing. During discovery, we find and interview witnesses, run background research on opposing witnesses and document claimed injuries or activity. Close to trial, we re-verify addresses, serve subpoenas and support your team in real time.
Because Delator Group also operates a statewide process serving division, you can keep investigation and service with one accountable vendor. A witness we locate on Monday can be served on Tuesday, and the affidavit and the investigative report will tell the same, consistent story.
03Deliverables
Court-Ready Documentation Your Team Can Actually Use
Evidence is only useful if it survives scrutiny. Our reports are written in plain chronological narrative, cite sources, and separate what an investigator observed from what a witness said. Video and photographs keep their original metadata. Chain-of-custody practices are built into the workflow, and exhibits can be formatted to match your firm's conventions.
If an investigator's testimony becomes necessary, the report was written with that moment in mind. We prepare investigator affidavits for depositions, hearings and trial, and our team understands what cross-examination tends to target.
- Chronological written reports with sourced findings
- Time-stamped video and photographs with original metadata preserved
- Recorded or transcribed witness statements
- Investigator affidavits for depositions and trial
- Exhibit-ready formatting on request
04Staying Inside the Lines
Ethical, Lawful Investigation Under Tennessee Law
Evidence gathered improperly can hurt your case and your client. Delator Group investigators are licensed through the Tennessee Private Investigation and Polygraph Commission under the Private Investigators Licensing and Regulatory Act (Tenn. Code Ann. § 62-26-201 et seq.), and we work within those limits on every assignment. Investigators do not trespass, pose as law enforcement, or obtain phone or bank records without proper legal process such as a subpoena.
Tennessee is generally a one-party-consent state for recording conversations (Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-13-601), but whether a specific recording is useful, admissible or wise is a strategic question for counsel. We will flag those issues early and follow your direction, so the evidence we hand over supports your theory of the case rather than creating a motion to suppress or exclude.
05How We Work With Firms
Transparent Pricing and Direct Access to Leadership
Law firms need to budget for investigation and explain costs to clients. We scope each assignment before work begins and quote it up front, so you are not watching a retainer quietly burn down. Single-task requests such as a locate or a serve can often be quoted the same day, and complex multi-party matters are typically scoped within 24 hours.
You will talk to the people doing and supervising the work. Paralegals get status updates without chasing a dispatcher, and attorneys can reach leadership when strategy shifts. Firms with ongoing volume can ask about account pricing for process serving and recurring investigative work.
06Practice Areas
Investigators for Plaintiff, Defense and Family Law Firms
Personal injury and insurance defense firms use us for activity checks, accident scene documentation and witness canvassing. Family law attorneys rely on discreet surveillance, hidden-asset research and custody-related documentation. Criminal defense counsel bring us in for independent fact investigation. Business and employment litigators use our background, due diligence and corporate investigation teams for wrongful termination, harassment and partner disputes.
Whatever the practice area, the goal is the same: give the attorney verified facts early enough to shape strategy, and in a form that can be used in the courtroom.
- Personal injury, wrongful death and workers' compensation
- Divorce, custody and hidden assets
- Criminal defense at the misdemeanor and felony level
- Employment, commercial and partnership disputes
Services
Investigation Services for Tennessee Law Firms
- Surveillance and Field InvestigationCovert and overt documentation of claimants and parties for personal injury, workers' comp and family law cases, reviewed by a supervisor before delivery.Learn more
- Skip Tracing and LocatesFinding parties, witnesses and judgment debtors who have moved or gone quiet, using layered database research confirmed by field verification when needed.Learn more
- Witness Background ChecksResearch on parties, witnesses and opposing experts to surface credibility issues, prior litigation, relationships and public records that matter to your case strategy.Learn more
- Asset InvestigationsIdentification of real property, vehicles, business interests and other holdings to guide settlement strategy, divorce proceedings and post-judgment collection efforts in Tennessee.Learn more
- Criminal Defense InvestigationIndependent scene work, alibi verification and witness interviews that give defense counsel the facts the prosecution's file may leave out or never examined.Learn more
- Jury Pool ResearchLawful, public-source background research on prospective jurors to support voir dire preparation, delivered in a clear, organized summary your trial team can scan quickly.Learn more
- Corporate and Due DiligencePre-transaction vetting and investigation for commercial disputes, partner conflicts and suspected internal misconduct, handled with discretion from the first call to the final report.Learn more
- Process ServingStatewide routine, rush and difficult serves with documented attempts, real-time status updates and court-ready affidavits of service ready for filing with the clerk.Learn more
- Wrongful Death InvestigationCareful fact development for wrongful death claims, including scene documentation, witness location and records research, handled with sensitivity toward the families involved.Learn more
How it works
How an Attorney Engagement Works
- 01
Scope the assignment
Call or submit the matter online. We discuss objectives, deadlines, jurisdiction and any legal constraints with you, then confirm exactly what will be done and what it will cost before work begins.
- 02
Assign the right investigator
Leadership matches the case to a licensed investigator with the relevant specialty and local knowledge, whether the work is in Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga or a rural county courthouse town.
- 03
Investigate and update
Field and research work proceeds under supervisor oversight. Your team receives status updates as milestones are reached, and you can adjust direction or priorities as the case evolves.
- 04
Review and deliver
Findings are reviewed for accuracy and completeness, then delivered as a court-ready package that can include a written report, media with preserved metadata, witness statements and affidavits as the matter requires.
- 05
Support through trial
We remain available for follow-up locates, subpoena service, witness re-interviews and investigator testimony as your matter moves toward settlement, hearing or trial in any Tennessee court.
Compare
Delator Group compared with a typical ad hoc investigator arrangement
| What attorneys need | Typical ad hoc arrangement | Delator Group |
|---|---|---|
| Statewide coverage | Strong locally, scrambles in other regions | Centralized network across all 95 counties |
| Who does the work | Often subcontracted to unknown freelancers | Vetted, licensed, insured network investigators |
| Pricing | Open-ended retainer drawn down over time | Scoped and quoted up front |
| Quality control | Varies by individual | Supervisor review before delivery |
| Process service | Separate vendor, separate paperwork | Integrated statewide serving division |
| Communication | Front desk or voicemail | Direct access to the team and leadership |
Statewide coverage
Litigation Support in Every Tennessee County
Delator Group supports attorneys in all three grand divisions of Tennessee. In West Tennessee we work cases in Memphis, Jackson and the Shelby County courts. In Middle Tennessee our Nashville headquarters covers Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Sumner, Wilson and Montgomery counties, including Franklin, Murfreesboro and Clarksville. In East Tennessee we support firms in Knoxville, Chattanooga, Johnson City and the Tri-Cities. Because the network is centrally managed, a filing in one county and a witness in another are handled as one coordinated matter.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Why should a law firm hire a private investigator instead of using paralegals?
Paralegals are essential, but field work, surveillance and in-person witness interviews take time and training they rarely have. A licensed investigator can also testify about what they personally observed, which keeps attorneys and staff from becoming witnesses in their own case. Using an outside investigator lets your team stay focused on strategy and drafting.
Are Delator Group investigators licensed in Tennessee?
Yes. Our investigators are licensed through the Tennessee Private Investigation and Polygraph Commission under the Private Investigators Licensing and Regulatory Act, and they are insured. Every investigator is vetted before joining our network. You can confirm any Tennessee investigator's status through the state's license verification tools, and our guide explains how.
Can a private investigator obtain phone or bank records for my case?
Not on their own. In Tennessee and nationally, investigators cannot lawfully obtain phone records, bank statements or similar protected records without proper legal process, such as a subpoena issued in your case. What we can do is identify where accounts and assets likely exist, so your discovery requests and subpoenas are targeted and efficient.
Is secretly recording a witness interview legal in Tennessee?
Tennessee is generally a one-party-consent state under Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-13-601, so a participant in a conversation may usually record it. Whether you want a recorded or written statement, and how it may be used, is a strategic decision for counsel. We discuss your preference before interviews and document consent practices in our notes.
How quickly can you start on a matter?
Single-task requests such as a locate or a serve can often be scoped and quoted the same day. More complex, multi-party investigations are typically scoped within 24 hours. Start dates for field work depend on the assignment, but we are available around the clock for active matters and will tell you realistic timing up front.
How is pricing handled for attorney clients?
We scope the work and quote it before we begin, so you and your client know the cost in advance rather than watching a retainer draw down. Firms that use us regularly can ask about account pricing, especially for process serving volume. Our service pricing page and cost guide explain typical factors that affect price.
Do you work for both plaintiffs and defendants?
Yes. We support plaintiff and defense counsel in civil, criminal, family and commercial matters. We run conflict checks at intake so we do not work both sides of the same case, and our reporting is factual and neutral in tone regardless of who retains us.
Will your investigator testify if the case goes to trial?
When testimony is needed, the investigator who performed the work can prepare an affidavit and appear for deposition or trial. Our reports are written with that possibility in mind, separating direct observations from third-party statements and preserving original media, so the testimony matches the documentation.
Can you handle cases outside the Nashville area?
Yes. Although we are headquartered in Nashville, our network covers all 95 Tennessee counties, from Shelby County in West Tennessee to Sullivan and Washington counties in the northeast. Work in Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga and rural counties is handled by vetted local investigators under the same standards and reporting format.
Photography: Brandon Jean · Tingey Injury Law Firm · Beatriz Pérez Moya (Unsplash License). Last reviewed .
Delator Group Private Investigators
Bring Delator Group Onto Your Next Matter
Tell us what your case needs and where. We will scope it, quote it up front and assign a licensed Tennessee investigator, so your team gets verified facts and court-ready documentation on schedule.