Case Management, Recordkeeping, and Report Writing
The file is the case
Case management starts before fieldwork: a written engagement letter defining scope, fee structure, deliverables, and limits (no pretexting, no trespass), a conflict check, and an intake sheet recording the client's stated objective. Everything thereafter - correspondence, field notes, receipts, evidence logs, invoices - belongs in one file, because in litigation the file is either your evidence or the other side's ammunition.
Records and evidence
Maintain a chain-of-custody log for every item: what it is, when and by whom it was collected, and each transfer. Keep originals untouched and work from copies. Store digital media with the camera's date/time settings documented, and back it up. Retain files for the applicable limitations period plus a margin, consistent with the engagement terms.
Writing the report
Good reports are chronological, first-person, past-tense, and factual: who, what, when, where, how, and how you know. Separate observation from hearsay ("the neighbor stated..."), and separate fact from conclusion. Avoid "appeared to be suspicious," absolutes like "always" or "never," and vague times. Use 24-hour times and full addresses, attach exhibits, and reference them. Negative findings matter - if the subject never left the residence, say so plainly.
Worked example: instead of "subject acted nervous and left quickly," write: "At 1422 hours the subject exited 123 Main St., entered a gray Ford F-150 (FL tag ABC-123), and drove east on Main St.; I followed until losing the vehicle at the I-4 interchange."