Skip Tracing Services Australia

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Skip Tracing Across Australia

The Find Group delivers licensed skip tracing across Australia, led by a former Police Detective with more than 20 years of field experience. We help law firms, finance providers, insolvency practitioners, businesses and private clients locate people whose current address or contact details are unknown, outdated or difficult to verify.

We do more than hand over the first database match. Our investigators combine investigative research, lawful data sources and disciplined cross-verification to establish whether the information can genuinely be relied upon. Every matter starts with a legitimate purpose and a clearly defined scope, and we deliver every result in a concise written report that states the level of confidence attached to our findings.

What Is Skip Tracing?

Skip tracing is the lawful process of locating a person whose current address or contact details are unknown, outdated or deliberately concealed.

Professional skip tracing goes well beyond a single online search or one database record: our investigators assess the known identifiers, examine lawful information sources, and cross-check every potential match before we confirm a location.

Skip tracing helps locate debtors, defendants, witnesses, beneficiaries, former directors, family members and other individuals wherever a client holds a legitimate and lawful reason for the enquiry.

Who We Help

Law Firms and Legal Professionals

We give legal teams reliable location information to progress civil, commercial and family-law matters. We regularly locate defendants and respondents, witnesses, former clients, parties requiring service, and individuals connected to proceedings.

Finance, Insolvency and Debt Recovery

We support finance providers, insolvency practitioners and authorised recovery professionals when a borrower, debtor, guarantor or former director can no longer be located from the information on file. Our enquiries help locate borrowers and guarantors, verify current residential information, identify interstate movement, and progress authorised asset-recovery activity.

Probate and Estate Matters

We help solicitors, executors and estate professionals locate beneficiaries, executors, family members and other parties relevant to estate administration.

Businesses and Employers

We locate former employees, contractors, directors and other parties connected with legitimate commercial, employment or legal matters.

Private Clients

We assist private clients wherever a genuine and lawful reason exists to locate someone, including certain family, legal and welfare matters. We assess the purpose of every search before we accept an instruction.

How Our Skip Tracing Process Works

1 Purpose and Case Assessment

We confirm who is requesting the search, why the person needs to be located, and how the client intends to use the information. We then review what is already known and set the appropriate level of investigation.

2 Identity and Information Review

We examine the identifiers you supply, which may include full name, date of birth, previous addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, known associates, business interests and previous employment. The quality of this starting information shapes the scope and complexity of the search.

3 Investigative Research

Depending on the matter, our investigators examine appropriate databases, public records, corporate registers and lawful open-source intelligence. We aim not simply to find a record bearing the same name, but to establish whether that record genuinely relates to the person you are seeking.

4 Cross-Verification

We test potential findings against multiple identifiers wherever possible. This reduces the risk of reporting an address or contact detail that belongs to another individual with a similar name. Where we cannot corroborate a result, we say so plainly.

5 Reporting

You receive a written report that sets out the relevant findings and our assessment of the information identified. Where further investigation would materially improve the result, we explain the options before we undertake any additional work.

A Database Match Is Not a Verified Skip Trace

A name sitting against an address does not prove that the person currently lives there. Addresses age, telephone numbers change, and business registrations can stay active long after someone has moved on. Multiple people also share the same or similar names. This is why The Find Group does not rely on a single source when further verification is reasonably available. We examine the information collectively and establish how strongly the available evidence supports the reported result.

Which Skip Trace Is Right for You?

Not every matter needs the same depth of investigation. We recommend the level of enquiry based on the information available, the purpose of the search, and how firmly the result needs to stand up. Indicative packages only; we confirm final scope and fees before any work begins.

Quick Trace

Best suited to straightforward matters where reliable identifiers already exist. May include core database enquiries, address indicators, basic contact verification and concise written findings.

Standard Trace

Best suited to legal, finance and commercial matters that need greater confidence in the result. May include multi-source investigation, address cross-verification, contact-information analysis, relevant business enquiries, open-source research, and a written confidence assessment.

Advanced Trace

Best suited to complex, interstate, high-value or long-running matters where the subject has proven difficult to locate. May include expanded historical research, associated-address analysis, business-interest enquiries, digital-footprint analysis, interstate enquiries and, where separately authorised, field enquiries.

What You Receive

Depending on the level of investigation agreed, your skip trace may include a clearly defined scope, agreed fees before commencement, a review of the subject information supplied, cross-checked address and contact findings, relevant business or directorship information, an assessment of the confidence attached to the result, a written investigation report, recommendations for further enquiries where appropriate, and secure delivery of findings. For legal or commercial matters, we can also liaise with an authorised solicitor or representative where required.

When We Cannot Confirm a Current Location

No investigator should promise to locate every person. A subject may have moved overseas, changed their name, deliberately reduced their digital footprint, or left very little reliable information behind. When we cannot confidently establish a current location, we never present an unverified address as fact. Instead, we explain what we established, where the limitations sit, and whether further options are worthwhile. Depending on the matter, those options may include expanded enquiries, field enquiries or surveillance where lawful and appropriate.

Why Choose The Find Group for Skip Tracing?

Investigation, not just data. We analyse potential findings rather than passing on the first database result.

Cross-verification. Wherever reasonably possible, we test findings against multiple identifiers and sources before we report them.

Legal and commercial experience. We work daily with professional clients who need clear information, defined scope and reliable reporting to progress legal, financial and commercial matters.

Australia-wide capability. We coordinate enquiries across Australian jurisdictions, so clients with interstate matters deal with one investigation provider and one reporting process.

Clear reporting. Our reports separate confirmed findings, strong indicators and information that remains inconclusive.

Confidential case management. We restrict case information to the authorised personnel managing or conducting the investigation.

Lawful Skip Tracing and Your Privacy

The Find Group accepts skip-tracing instructions only where a legitimate and lawful purpose exists. Before we begin, we assess the identity of the instructing party, the reason for the search and the intended use of the information. We conduct every investigation using lawful methods and handle all information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles. Where enquiries escalate to field work or surveillance, we also comply with the relevant state and territory surveillance legislation. We do not accept instructions intended to facilitate harassment, intimidation, unlawful surveillance or any other improper activity.

Interstate and National Matters

The Find Group provides skip tracing across Australia, including matters in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory. For interstate matters, a single case director coordinates the enquiry, giving you one point of contact and one reporting process from start to finish.

We coordinate matters in every state from our Melbourne office. Explore our coverage in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

What We Need to Start

The more reliable information you can share at the outset, the more accurately we can set the scope. Useful details include the subject’s full name, an approximate or confirmed date of birth, a last known address, previous telephone or email information, known aliases, associated businesses, previous locations, and the reason the person needs to be located. You do not need all of this before contacting us; share what you have and we will tell you whether there is enough to begin.

Skip Tracing Case Studies

Interstate Lead Developed After a Previous Address Was Eliminated

Client: A finance client seeking updated location intelligence for an ongoing recovery matter.

Issue: The address on file had already been investigated and no longer linked to the individual, and existing contact information had proven unreliable.

Approach: We reviewed historical investigation records, field-enquiry outcomes, address history, employment information and open-source intelligence, then assessed and cross-referenced multiple leads to determine whether recent activity pointed to a relocation interstate.

Outcome: We identified a credible interstate lead and a further property connection, allowing the client to focus recovery efforts on a more relevant area.

Confidentiality note: Names, dates, locations and identifying information have been removed or altered to preserve client confidentiality.

Historical Intelligence Review Uncovers a New Recovery Opportunity

Client: A commercial lender needing updated intelligence after earlier skip tracing did not establish a current location.

Issue: Previous investigations had not identified a current residential address, and the available records held outdated contact details and historical locations.

Approach: We conducted a comprehensive review of historical records, property interests, business information, employer details and recent intelligence, re-evaluating existing leads against newly available information to surface opportunities not previously pursued.

Outcome: The review established a stronger investigative direction, identified a current lead for field enquiries, and gave the client clear recommendations for progressing the matter efficiently.

Confidentiality note: Names, dates, locations and identifying information have been removed or altered to preserve client confidentiality.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is skip tracing legal in Australia?

Yes. Skip tracing is legal in Australia when a licensed investigator conducts it for a legitimate purpose and in line with privacy law. Before accepting any instruction, we confirm who is requesting the search, why the person needs to be located, and how the information will be used.

How much does skip tracing cost?

The cost of a skip trace can vary depending on the information available, the complexity of the search, and whether the person has taken steps to avoid being located. Contact us for a fixed-fee assessment. For more on what affects the price, read our guide to skip tracing costs in Australia.

How long does a skip trace take?

Timeframes depend on the complexity of the matter and the information available. Some straightforward enquiries resolve quickly, while cases requiring multi-source verification take longer. If your matter is urgent, tell us when you make the enquiry and we will advise what is realistically achievable.

Can you locate a debtor?

Yes. We regularly help authorised legal, finance and recovery clients locate debtors, borrowers, guarantors and other relevant parties. We confirm the client’s connection to the matter and the legitimate purpose before we commence.

Can you locate witnesses or defendants?

Yes. Skip tracing helps solicitors and other authorised parties locate witnesses, defendants, respondents and other individuals relevant to legal proceedings.

Can you locate beneficiaries or family members?

Yes. Skip tracing assists solicitors, executors and authorised private clients with certain beneficiary, estate and family-location matters. We assess the circumstances and purpose before accepting the instruction.

Do you contact the person being traced?

Generally no. Desktop skip-tracing enquiries do not usually require us to contact the subject directly. If direct contact, field enquiries or another approach may be required, we discuss it with you before proceeding.

What if I have very little information?

Contact us with what you have. A full name, approximate age, previous address, telephone number, email address or employer may be enough for us to determine whether a viable investigation is possible.

Can you locate someone interstate?

Yes. The Find Group conducts and coordinates skip tracing across Australia, managed through a single case director for interstate matters.

What happens if you cannot find the person?

If we cannot establish a current location with sufficient confidence, our report explains the findings and their limitations rather than presenting an unverified address as fact. Where appropriate, we recommend further investigation.

Need to Locate Someone?

Tell us what you know, why the person needs to be located, and what you need the information for. We will assess the matter, recommend the appropriate level of skip tracing, and confirm the scope and cost before we begin.

Our experienced Investigators work closely with you to deliver the outcome you need.

Use the confidential contact form to brief us on your requirements — we’ll listen carefully and provide expert, tailored guidance.

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THE FIND GROUP