A
Formal documentation
You need formal documentation of behaviour that is already apparent, to be used in separation, custody, or maintenance-adjustment proceedings.
B2C branch · Individuals
Private investigator
in Milan.
Investigations for individuals in the field of family law (marital infidelity, separation, custody, maintenance) and personal security. An initial confidential, no-obligation meeting to work out together whether an investigation is appropriate and how to set it up.
All services in detail
Eight areas
of activity.
Each service has its own dedicated page with a full description and the working process. Select one to learn more, or request a free initial meeting under NDA.
A.
Marital infidelity
Ascertaining conduct that damages the marital relationship, with evidentiary documentation usable in separation proceedings.
B.
Child custody
Verification of the child's living conditions, associations and family context for custody and visitation proceedings.
C.
Pre-marital investigations
Discreet verification of reliability, personal situation and lifestyle before an important family plan.
D.
Protection of children
Protecting minors from harmful environments, dangerous associations, addictions, cyberbullying. Concrete elements to intervene.
E.
Review of maintenance payments
Asset investigations into undeclared income, stable cohabitation and concealed activities of the former spouse.
F.
Tracing missing persons
Locating unreachable persons through information analysis, on-the-ground enquiries and OSINT tools.
G.
Anti-stalking investigations
Collection of evidence on persecutory acts, harassment, unwanted following and repeated threats for the protection of the victim.
H.
DNA recovery for comparative testing
Technical retrieval of biological traces for comparative analysis at authorised laboratories, in compliance with privacy rules.
Approach
An investigation
in the service of the individual.
When an investigation reaches into private life — a couple, a family, a child — how it is conducted matters as much as the result.
We work mindful of the emotional weight of what our clients entrust to us. We avoid sensationalism, we do not overstate, and we never push an engagement beyond what is needed. Our aim is that, whatever the outcome, the person who engaged us can use what we have gathered with dignity, both in the legal arena and in their own life.
When it makes sense
When to turn
to an investigator.
An investigation is not always the right answer. Sometimes a doubt is cleared up through a conversation, through legal advice, through mediation. An investigation makes sense when:
B
Well-founded doubt
There is a well-founded doubt affecting the couple's life or the children's safety, and your own means are not enough to resolve it.
C
Situation of risk
A situation of risk arises (stalking, harassment, threats) that calls for gathering evidence in support of a formal complaint.
D
Missing person
A person has gone missing and you wish to start a search running alongside that of the authorities.
In the first meeting we discuss openly whether an investigation is the right tool. If it is not, we say so.
Procedures
How we safeguard confidentiality.
Private clients are often the first to fear that the investigation might become public. Our procedures are designed to ensure the opposite.
- No contact with your family members or acquaintances unless expressly authorised.
- Access to the case file limited to the assigned operatives only.
- Encrypted storage, retained only for as long as strictly necessary.
- Communications through channels agreed upon with you.
Coordination
With your lawyer.
In the vast majority of cases our work feeds into proceedings handled by a family lawyer. We always recommend coordinating with the lawyer, from the very outset. When the investigation is designed together with the lawyer, the evidence is more usable, the engagement more proportionate, and the strategy more coherent.
If you do not yet have a trusted lawyer, we can point you to professionals we have worked with, while leaving you complete freedom of choice.
01
Joint briefing
An initial three-way meeting: you, your lawyer, and your Ethix contact. Defining the scope of the evidence to be gathered.
02
Proportionate engagement
Timing, means, and depth calibrated to the litigation strategy. Nothing beyond what is needed.
03
Admissible report
Material structured according to the formal requirements of an investigative report suitable for submission in court.
Frequently asked questions
The most
common questions.
Answers to the most common concerns of those considering an investigation in family or personal matters in Milan.
How much does a marital infidelity investigation cost in Milan?
We do not publish standard rate cards: every engagement is designed around the objective, the duration, and the techniques required. A marital infidelity investigation may take from a few days to one or two weeks of surveillance. After an initial confidential meeting you will receive a written, proportionate quote, with no changes along the way. The first meeting is free of charge.
Is evidence gathered by an investigator admissible in a separation case?
Yes, provided it is gathered in compliance with privacy law and with respect for the dignity of the people involved. The investigative report can be submitted in separation or divorce proceedings and weighed by the judge alongside the other evidence. To have fault attributed in a separation (art. 151, paragraph 2, of the Italian Civil Code) you need detailed, dated evidence of a breach of marital duties with a causal link to the breakdown.
Will my partner find out about the investigation?
No, unless you decide otherwise. The investigation is carried out discreetly, with no contact whatsoever with the person under surveillance. The investigative report is delivered to you in confidence, and it is for you, together with your lawyer, to decide whether and how to use it.
Can I approach Ethix without already having a lawyer?
Yes. An initial informational meeting does not require a lawyer to be present. If the investigation is intended for use in proceedings (separation, custody, maintenance), we will recommend that you involve a lawyer before starting it, so that the investigative engagement supports the litigation strategy.
How long does an infidelity investigation typically last?
On average between five and fifteen days of actual fieldwork, spread out according to the movements of the person under surveillance. Some cases close sooner, when the evidence emerges in the very first outings. The real timeframe depends on schedules, working days, and the subject's routine.
Do you also investigate minors?
We do not place minors under surveillance as targets in their own right. In custody proceedings, minors may be present within the observed setting (because they are with a parent), but the investigation is directed at the parent's conduct, not the child's. We avoid any footage or documentation that would expose the child, in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (art. 16) and with Italian case law on the protection of minors.
Let's talk, with no obligation
An initial confidential meeting
commits you to nothing.
We listen, we work out whether an investigation really is the right tool, and only then do we build the engagement together. Based in Milan, with assignments across Lombardy and throughout Italy.