If you have your suspicions that your partner is having an affair, but for your own peace of mind you need to be sure about the infidelity, investigation is an option but, before you go out and hire a private investigator, make sure that you know what you are getting yourself in to.

There is no doubt that infidelity is one of the hardest things anyone ever has to go through and the period when the first suspicions develop is one of the worst. The not knowing, just wondering where your partner is and what they are doing plays havoc with the mind and trying to decide what to do is painful.

There are many options to catch a cheating spouse and trying to wade through them can be daunting but you need to be sure that before your infidelity investigation gets under way you have chosen the right option for you.

When choosing the route of private investigator one of the biggest mistakes you can make is to tell your partner that they are being investigated. Often it is in the heat of the moment and not something that was meant to come out but it does happen, in fact it happens a lot. People aren’t always so stupid as to let slip to their spouses but find it difficult not to confide in their friends, colleagues or family.

Infidelity is something that is difficult and for some people impossible to cope with alone but once you decide to confirm your suspicions of the infidelity, investigation through a private investigator is your chosen path, and the initial steps have been taken, you must be sure that you can go it alone.

No one ever means to break a confidence but it is so easily done, just one slip of the tongue and it’s all over, the investigation is sabotaged. If you decide to go for it make sure you are able to keep quiet, not just at the start but through the whole investigation even if early feedback appears to confirm what you originally thought you have to be able to keep quiet right to the end. You can’t confide in a friend and you can’t confront your spouse, you can’t even change in the way you act towards your partner.

If you think you are up to it then your first step is to hire a licensed private investigator. The investigator, once instructed will basically follow your spouse and monitor their activities. They will gather evidence, if there is any to be had, as proof of what is happening. A guide to timescales is often given but it can only be a guide, the length of time it takes is all down to how frequently your partner meets with the ‘other person’ if they exist and how much time and money you want to throw at the investigation.

Evidence generally comes in the form of photographs but can also be from recording devices planted in a person’s home, office or car. Whatever the approach it can prove a lengthy and costly process.

People who are having an extramarital affair are usually discreet and go to great lengths not to get caught cheating on their partners. Infidelity investigation therefore involves someone spending long hours parked outside your house, a hotel, a restaurant or your partner’s office just in the hope that they are in the right place at the right time.

Be sure this is the path for you before you hire an investigator or else you could pin your hopes on something that is going to fall at the first hurdle!