Explore our main services or go to our booking page.
We have answered the most common questions our clients ask about skip tracing, locating a person, beneficiary tracing, service of documents, timeframes and how to engage us. If your question is not answered here, contact us or ask Tracey, our website chatbot, in the bottom right hand corner of the screen.
Skip Tracing Basics
Skip tracing is the process of locating a person whose current whereabouts are unknown, or obtaining a person's current address for a legal purpose such as the service of court documents.
The name comes from the phrase "skipped town." In practice, most of the people we locate have simply moved without updating their address, become uncontactable, or failed to respond to formal correspondence.
Skip Tracing Australia locates people for legal proceedings, debt recovery, estate administration and compliance matters, with written reports suitable for court filing.
Yes. Skip tracing is legal in Australia when it is conducted lawfully, for a legitimate purpose, and in compliance with privacy legislation.
In Australia, private investigation is licensed at the state and territory level. Each jurisdiction has its own requirements, but the principle is consistent: investigators must meet minimum standards of training, conduct and accountability before they can lawfully operate. Licensed investigators can also lawfully access professional databases and conduct enquiries that are not available to the public.
Skip Tracing Australia is a licensed private investigation agency. Our investigations comply with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and all applicable state and federal legislation.
Anyone with a lawful and legitimate reason to locate a person. Our clients are primarily:
→ Law firms locating parties for the service of court documents
→ Estate practitioners locating beneficiaries, executors and next of kin
→ Creditors and collections agencies locating debtors
→ Insolvency practitioners and receivers locating directors and asset holders
→ Individuals with a genuine legal or personal need, such as reconnecting with family by consent
We ask every client the purpose of the locate, and we may request photo identification or supporting documents. We will not accept instructions to locate a person who holds or has held a protection order against the requesting party, except through a solicitor acting in a legal matter, such as service of family court documents, with supporting evidence provided. We reserve the right to decline any request that does not align with our professional and ethical obligations.
A Standard Skip Trace turnaround is 10 business days. Most matters return a result or a substantive update inside that window.
An Advanced Skip Trace is completed within 20 business days, reflecting the additional research involved.
These timeframes are a guide only. Turnaround can extend during peak periods or where a matter is complex, and we will keep you updated on the progress of your matter.
If you need results sooner, urgency options are available on any skip trace service for a surcharge, with turnarounds of 5 business days, 3 business days, or 1 business day. Limited timeframes may reduce the opportunity to confirm an address through contact attempts or additional verification steps, and we will discuss this with you when you book.
Our current prices are published in our Price Guide, which is updated at the start of each new financial year.
To obtain a quote and receive a copy of the current Price Guide, use our quote page, or ask Tracey, our website chatbot, in the bottom right hand corner of the screen.
For law firms, government agencies and businesses sending ongoing or high volume work, we offer account arrangements with private pricing. Contact us to discuss.
Services and Results
A Quick Trace is an information only report. We compile the available data on your Subject and report what it shows. No contact of any kind is made and no attempts are made to confirm an address.
A Standard Skip Trace is our most popular service and the default for most matters. A licensed investigator works the file, exhausting available avenues to confirm a current residential or business address that can be used for service.
An Advanced Skip Trace is for complex matters: common names, limited starting information, decades of no contact, or where a Standard trace has been exhausted. It involves substantially more investigation time and research, and includes a witnessed Affidavit of Skip Trace.
If you are unsure which service fits your matter, book a Standard Skip Trace and we will contact you if a different service level is more appropriate.
A successful locate is the confirmation of a Subject's whereabouts through one or more of the following:
→ Confirmation of an address or phone number by the Subject or a known associate. Where we speak with a Subject directly, enquiries are conducted discreetly by licensed investigators, and we never disclose your identity or the details of your matter unless you instruct us otherwise
→ Documentary confirmation of a current address, such as a title search or rental tenancy record, supported by additional evidence
→ The Subject being physically sighted by one of our agents at an address
→ Confirmation that the Subject is incarcerated, in which case we provide the address of the correctional facility
→ Confirmation that the Subject is hospitalised, in which case we provide the hospital's address
→ Confirmation that the Subject is deceased, based on official records
The full definition is set out in our Terms and Conditions.
No investigator can guarantee a locate, and we will never promise one. What we can guarantee is a professional, documented investigation.
If we cannot locate your Subject, we will tell you plainly and report what our enquiries found. In many matters this outcome still has value: a documented record of the enquiries undertaken can support an application for substituted service or demonstrate reasonable efforts to a court.
Where a trace is unsuccessful, new data often surfaces over time. A Repeat Trace on the same Subject within 6 months of the original trace is available at a reduced rate.
If you form the view that a Subject is not at the address we reported, notify us within 30 days of the report being issued and we will recheck the file at no additional cost, subject to the criteria in our Terms and Conditions, which include making attendance attempts at the address at varied times.
No. We never disclose your identity, our identity, or any details of your matter during our enquiries, unless you specifically instruct us to be upfront.
You choose the contact approach when you book:
→ Discreet contact: enquiries conducted discreetly by licensed investigators to confirm a current location. This is our default and recommended approach
→ Discreet contact with associates only: enquiries limited to non relative associates such as neighbours, property managers or employers, with no contact with the Subject, immediate relatives or friends
→ Strictly no contact: information returned to you only, with no contact attempted. This can reduce our ability to confirm an address, and we will discuss the implications with you
→ Upfront contact: we identify ourselves and make direct contact on your behalf. This is common in beneficiary and witness matters, where the person needs to be told why they are being sought
Yes. We work with established international partners to locate people outside Australia, most commonly in the UK, US, Canada, Europe and New Zealand.
International skip tracing is quoted per country and confirmed with you in writing before any work begins, with upfront payment required. Costs and feasibility vary significantly by country, and we will give you an honest assessment before you commit. Request a quote and we will come back to you promptly.
For Legal Professionals
Yes. A witnessed Affidavit of Skip Trace sets out the enquiries undertaken and the results, in a form suitable for filing.
An affidavit is available as an add on to a Standard Skip Trace and is included with every Advanced Skip Trace. Affidavits are commonly used to support applications for substituted service and to evidence reasonable enquiries to the court.
An affidavit is not always required, so check with your solicitor or the court if you are unsure.
Yes. We locate parties for the service of documents in family law matters, including where a party has become uncontactable or is avoiding service.
For complex family court matters, our Advanced service documents the exhausted efforts to locate the party in a witnessed affidavit, which can support an application for substituted service or dispensation of service.
Family law matters often involve safety sensitivities. We screen every instruction, and where protection orders are involved we act only through your solicitor with supporting evidence.
Yes. We locate witnesses for civil, criminal and estate matters, including witnesses to wills, injuries and incidents, as well as executors who have lost contact with an estate.
Witness matters are conducted with upfront contact: we identify ourselves, explain why the person is being sought, and invite them to make contact, handled with care so the witness is informed rather than alarmed.
Where required, a licensed investigator can also conduct a formal witness interview on your instructions, with a written summary provided and a signed statement arranged where the witness consents.
Yes. We coordinate process serving through a national network of licensed field agents, assigning each job to the closest available agent for timely, lawful and documented service.
Process serving is a separate service priced by the service location, with metropolitan, regional, rural and remote areas priced differently due to agent availability and travel. When you book a skip trace, simply tell us you require service on completion and we will confirm the fee with you.
Yes. We prepare formal expert reports on investigative methodology and findings, such as evidence of the reasonable enquiries undertaken to locate a person, suitable for filing in court proceedings. Court and tribunal appearances in support of a report can also be arranged.
Expert witness work is quoted and confirmed in writing before commencement.
Beneficiary Tracing
Beneficiary tracing is the process of identifying and locating beneficiaries, next of kin and executors for deceased estate administration, including intestacies.
We offer three tiers, scoped to the complexity of the matter:
→ Tier 1 is for matters where you hold the beneficiary's name plus a date of birth or last known address
→ Tier 2 is for harder matters: common names, limited information, decades of no contact, or beneficiaries who are not yet identified
→ Tier 3 produces a court ready Report of Reasonable Enquiries, documenting the genealogical research and enquiries undertaken, suitable for supporting applications such as a Benjamin Order
In beneficiary and estate matters we make upfront contact on your behalf, identifying ourselves and explaining why the person is being sought. We can also locate a deceased person's will or grant of probate as a separate service.
Our three tiers are scoped to the complexity of the matter, not the outcome.
Tier 1 fits matters where the beneficiary is identified and you hold their name plus a date of birth or last known address. Most straightforward estate matters sit here.
Tier 2 fits harder matters: a common name, very limited starting information, decades of no contact, or beneficiaries who have not yet been identified, such as an intestacy where the family structure must be established first.
Tier 3 is for matters heading to court, producing a Report of Reasonable Enquiries suitable for supporting applications such as a Benjamin Order or for distribution decisions where a beneficiary cannot be found.
If you are unsure, instruct at Tier 1 and we will assess the matter and contact you before any additional work is undertaken.
A Report of Reasonable Enquiries is a formal, court ready document setting out the searches, genealogical research and enquiries undertaken to identify or locate a missing beneficiary, and the results of each.
Executors and administrators have a duty to make reasonable efforts to locate beneficiaries before distributing an estate. Where a beneficiary cannot be found, the report provides the evidentiary basis for the next step, such as an application for a Benjamin Order permitting distribution on the assumption the beneficiary has not survived, or seeking directions from the court.
The report documents what was done, what was found, and what avenues were exhausted, in a form your counsel can rely on. Preparation of supporting affidavit material and court appearances can also be arranged.
Yes, where instructed. In beneficiary matters we make upfront contact on your behalf: we identify ourselves, explain that we are acting for the estate's representatives, and communicate the message you have instructed, typically inviting the person to contact your firm.
We handle this contact with care. Being told about an inheritance from an unknown caller invites suspicion, so we provide enough verifiable detail for the person to satisfy themselves the approach is genuine, without disclosing estate specifics beyond your instructions.
If you prefer to make contact yourself, instruct us to locate only and we will return the confirmed details to you without any approach being made.
Yes. Our Probate and Will Search service locates a deceased person's will or grant of probate, drawing on court probate registries, will deposit registries, and enquiries with solicitors, banks and other likely custodians.
This service is commonly used where a person has died and the family cannot find a will, or where confirmation is needed that probate has or has not been granted before an estate matter proceeds.
Practical Questions
At minimum, the Subject's full name plus one solid identifier: a date of birth, a last known address, or a previously used phone number or email address.
The more you can provide, the better: previous addresses, known associates or relatives, employment history, vehicle details, or online profiles. For beneficiary matters, include the deceased's name and the Subject's relationship to the deceased.
If you are not sure whether you have enough to proceed, ask us. We will give you an honest assessment before you book.
We understand the temptation, but please do not conduct your own enquiries while we are working your file. Contacting the Subject or their associates, or attending addresses provided in our updates, can alert the Subject, compromise the investigation and lead to an unsatisfactory result.
If client interference occurs during an investigation, our Terms and Conditions permit us to cancel the service and charge the full fee. If new information comes to you while a trace is underway, send it to us and we will action it properly.
Yes. You can cancel a standard service at no charge within 24 hours of engaging us, provided work has not commenced. After that, we charge for the work performed and costs incurred up to the date of cancellation.
Urgent services commence immediately on acceptance of your instructions, so the free cancellation window for urgent services is 1 hour.
Full cancellation terms are set out in our Terms and Conditions.
Success depends heavily on the circumstances. A person who has simply moved without updating their address is usually straightforward to locate. A person actively avoiding multiple creditors, or with very limited identifying information, is more of a challenge, though not impossible.
We are honest about this rather than quoting a single headline figure, because no reputable investigator can guarantee a locate. What we can tell you is that the large majority of our matters result in a confirmed location, and where a trace is unsuccessful, new data often surfaces over time.
A Repeat Trace on the same Subject within 6 months is available at a reduced rate, and unsuccessful matters are documented so the enquiries still hold evidentiary value.
If you are unsure whether your matter is viable, ask us before you book and we will give you a frank assessment.
A written report, delivered to your nominated email address, setting out the outcome of the investigation and the information confirmed.
For a successful locate, the report includes the confirmed address and the basis for the confirmation. For an unsuccessful matter, the report documents the enquiries undertaken and their results, which can support applications such as substituted service.
Where you have ordered an Affidavit of Skip Trace, or it is included in your service, the witnessed affidavit follows the report. Reports are prepared to a standard suitable for use in legal proceedings.
Things We Can't Help With
No. There are no private investigators in Australia who have, or should have, access to state motor vehicle registration databases. That information is protected under privacy legislation and is only accessible to authorised agencies.
If you have other details for the person involved, such as a name or phone number, we may be able to develop further leads through lawful enquiries. Be aware that at fault drivers commonly provide false details.
If law enforcement has not been able to assist, the appropriate course is to apply for the registered operator's details through the Freedom of Information or Right to Information process with the relevant state transport authority. Your solicitor can also seek these details through pre litigation discovery processes.
No. Phone records, banking records and medical records are protected under privacy legislation and cannot be lawfully accessed by any private investigator in Australia. Any operator claiming otherwise is describing unlawful conduct, and information obtained that way would be inadmissible and expose everyone involved to serious legal risk.
Lawful routes to these records do exist in legal proceedings, through subpoenas, notices to produce and court ordered discovery, which your solicitor manages. Our role is different: we lawfully locate people, confirm addresses and gather admissible evidence that supports those processes.
No. Centrelink, Medicare, immigration, taxation and similar government records are strictly protected and accessible only to authorised agencies. No private investigator has lawful access to them, and we will not attempt to obtain them.
Where government held information is genuinely required for a legal matter, there are lawful channels: Freedom of Information and Right to Information processes, subpoenas, and court orders. Your solicitor can advise which applies to your matter, and our investigation reports can support those applications by documenting what is already lawfully known.
No. Skip Tracing Australia works with law firms, courts, corporate clients and government aligned entities on legal, commercial and compliance matters. We do not take infidelity investigations or surveillance for personal curiosity.
Where surveillance is required for a legitimate legal purpose, such as a family law, insurance or workplace matter conducted through your solicitor, we can assist, and every instruction is screened for lawful purpose.
No. We ask every client the purpose of the locate, and we may request identification and supporting documents before commencing. We decline instructions that do not have a lawful and legitimate purpose, including matters involving protection orders except where a solicitor instructs us in a legal matter with supporting evidence.
Our screening exists to protect the people we locate as well as our clients. See "Who can request a skip trace?" above for the full picture.
Google Reviews
What our clients are saying
How can we help you?
If you haven't been able to find what you're looking for, contact us using our enquiry form and let us know how we can help you. We'll respond as soon as we can.
Alternatively, you can speak to our AI Chatbot Tracey down the bottom right hand corner of the screen for instant answers
Call Us
1300 983 324
Email Us
Get in touch
Skip Tracing Australia is a proud member of Australia’s leading professional and regulatory associations:
IMPORTANT INFO
SERVICES
ACCREDITATIONS
Australian Institute of Professional Investigators
Australian Mercantile Agents Association
Australian Investigators Association
Member of Australian Mercantile Agents
©2026, Skip Tracing Australia Pty Ltd | ACN: 669 393 104 | Website by Fertile Media
