Locating an Adult Daughter Who Left Home
Parents hire a Missouri private investigator to find their 22-year-old daughter, who left home after an argument, stopped answering texts, and quit her job. They say she has bipolar disorder and is 'off her meds,' but they provide no guardianship or court order. They give the investigator her car description, plate, and a friend's address. After 14 hours, the investigator finds her car at an apartment complex in a nearby town and sees her leave for work at a restaurant. The parents demand the exact address, the restaurant name, and a photo 'to prove she is alive.' They also want the investigator to call the restaurant manager and ask whether she is 'acting crazy.' The retainer is $2,000, and the parents threaten to withhold payment unless they get the address.
1. What may the investigator disclose to the parents about the daughter's location and employment?
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The daughter is an adult, and the parents have no guardianship or court order giving them authority over her. The investigator may generally tell the parents that he located her and that she appeared safe, but should not disclose the exact apartment address, the restaurant name, or a photograph without her consent. Confirming that an adult is alive and apparently safe is different from handing over location details that could expose her to unwanted contact.
The investigator should explain these limits in writing and offer to deliver a message from the parents to the daughter. If the daughter consents, the investigator may share more. The request to call the restaurant manager about whether she is 'acting crazy' should be refused: it is not necessary to confirm welfare, it could harm her employment, and it invites a privacy and defamation problem. Document the refusal and the reasons.
2. What should the investigator do if the parents claim the daughter is a danger to herself because she stopped taking medication?
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Stopping medication alone is not proof of imminent danger. The investigator should assess what he has actually observed: Is she conscious, oriented, and going to work? Has she threatened self-harm? Is there an immediate emergency? If there is clear evidence of imminent danger, the investigator should call 911 and provide facts, not diagnoses. If there is concern but no emergency, he can ask police to conduct a welfare check and explain the specific observations.
The investigator should not detain, confront, or follow the daughter onto private property. He should document times, locations, and observations. He can also give the daughter the investigator's contact information and ask whether she wants to communicate with her parents. The parents should be told that an adult has the right to decline contact, and that police may take a missing-person report but cannot force an adult to return home.
3. How should the investigator handle the parents' threat to withhold payment unless they receive the address?
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The investigator should not trade a privacy violation for payment. The retainer agreement and written scope control what was promised; the investigator should send a written status update explaining what was lawfully confirmed, what cannot be disclosed without consent, and an itemized invoice for the 14 hours worked. If the parents refuse to pay, the investigator can pursue lawful collection under the contract, but should not retaliate by disclosing the daughter's address.
If the parents continue to insist on unlawful disclosure, the investigator should consider terminating the engagement and documenting the reason. The file should include the retainer, the written privacy explanation, the invoice, and any refusal to authorize improper contact. This protects the investigator's license and gives a clear record if the parents later complain or dispute the fee.