Child Custody Investigations

Facts for a Custody Question

Parents and family-law attorneys call when a court order and the week do not match: missed exchanges, a child who is not sleeping at the address in the order, a new adult in the home, or a concern about supervision, driving, or substance use during parenting time. The job is to record what can be observed lawfully, not to score who is the better parent.

If a child is in immediate danger, call 911. A private investigator is not the police and is not a substitute for an emergency response. We also do not interview the child, interfere with a pickup, or enter a home, a school, or other private property without permission.

Most of the custody matters we take are in Southern Indiana: New Albany, Jeffersonville, Clarksville, Corydon, Floyds Knobs, and the smaller towns around our Greenville base. A common pattern is a parent who moved across the river or into the next county after a separation, which changes where exchanges happen and who is around the child during the week. We start by mapping the order against the actual addresses, school, and schedule, so the hours we work are the hours that answer your question.

Many Indiana orders follow the Indiana Parenting Time Guidelines. We compare the order you actually have with the routine we can document. The court decides custody. Read our guide on what evidence Indiana custody cases tend to use.

What You Receive

A written report tied to dates, times, and addresses: who was present, what the child's routine was during the window we worked, and how that compares with the order or the question your attorney asked. Photographs and video are included when they were taken lawfully. Leads that did not pan out are listed so the file shows what was already checked.

We can also run a background check on an adult who is regularly around the child, when there is a lawful purpose. That work is described on our background checks page. We do not present a database printout as a finding about parenting.

What's Legal in Indiana

Private investigator firms in Indiana are licensed under Indiana Code IC 25-30 by the Private Investigator and Security Guard Licensing Board. Our license is PI22500020, and you can confirm it on the Indiana license search. Indiana custody orders are built around the best interests of the child. IC 31-17-2-8 tells the court to weigh factors such as the child's adjustment to home, school, and community, and evidence of a pattern of domestic or family violence. We supply observations and lawful records. We do not tell the court what the order should be.

We do not hack phones or accounts, and we do not place a tracking device on a vehicle without a lawful right to do so. Indiana makes unauthorized tracking a crime under IC 35-46-8.5-1. Evidence taken by breaking those rules can hurt the case it was meant to help. If an address is outside Indiana, we say so before any fieldwork is planned there.

Can you prove the other parent is unfit?

No. We document what was observed and what lawful records show. A judge decides fitness and custody. A dramatic story is not a finding, and a day when nothing relevant happened is reported that way.

Will you talk to my child?

No. We do not interview children to build a custody case, and we do not coach a parent on what to say. Observations are of the routine, from lawful vantage points.

Should my attorney hire you, or can I?

Either can call. If a lawyer is already on the case, we prefer the scope to come through that lawyer so the work matches what the court is being asked to decide.

Do you handle custody cases in Floyd, Clark, and Harrison counties?

Yes. Most of our custody work is in Southern Indiana, including New Albany, Jeffersonville, Clarksville, Corydon, and the towns around our Greenville base. Knowing how exchanges usually work in those communities, from school pickup lines to the parking lots parents use for handoffs, helps us plan observation that stays lawful and unnoticed.

Can you help if the other parent lives in Louisville?

Often, yes. Many Southern Indiana families have one parent on each side of the river. We can document exchanges and parenting time that happen at Indiana addresses and research public records anywhere. We hold only an Indiana license, so if the facts that matter are at a Kentucky address, we explain the options during the free consultation before any fieldwork is planned.

Can a guardian ad litem or custody evaluator use your report?

Your attorney decides who sees the report. When a guardian ad litem or evaluator is involved, a dated, factual record of what was observed, including days when nothing relevant happened, is usually more useful to them than a summary of opinions.

What if I think my child is in danger tonight?

Call 911 or your local police. A private investigator is the wrong first call when someone may be hurt. After the emergency is handled, we can talk about a lawful record for the case.

Disclaimer: Cheshire Investigation Agency is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice, legal opinions, or representation. Custody and parenting-time decisions are made by the court. If a child is in immediate danger, call 911.