How to prepare an initial brief for an investigation
A request structure that saves time and money: objective, facts, boundaries, expected result.
Updated 3 August 2026 · 6 min read
The quality of the result is set at the first description of the task. A vague request such as "check this person fully" leads to work that spreads wide instead of going deep: time is spent collecting information that has no bearing on anything, while the critical question remains unanswered.
The guide provides the structure of a working brief: what decision you are making, what is already known and from where, what must be established, what is merely desirable, which jurisdictions are involved, what deadline is genuinely critical. Separately - how to phrase questions so that they can be answered with facts, and why it is worth stating at the outset who will receive the result and in what form: a report for internal use, for a bank, and for court are prepared differently.
The brief does not require documents or personal data: at this stage, the structure of the task is sufficient.
Who this material is for
- those ordering a check for the first time
- for lawyers instructed on behalf of a client
- for compliance teams
- for companies with recurring checks
Questions covered in this guide
- which sections the brief should contain
- how to phrase questions that can be answered
- why it is important to specify the user of the result
- what to disclose immediately and what later
- how to define budget and time constraints
Contents
- The decision for which the check is needed
- What is already known and from which sources
- Mandatory and desirable questions
- Jurisdictions and period
- User and format of the result
- Deadlines, budget and boundaries of what is acceptable
At the brief stage, no documents, personal data or access credentials are transferred. Sensitive materials are exchanged only after the channel has been agreed.
Related practice areas
Already facing a similar matter?
Outline the situation in general terms, without documents or personal data. BLACKFILE will assess whether the work can lawfully proceed and propose an approach.