Legal limits of locating a person
When a search is lawful, what can be established, and why some requests are declined.
Updated 3 August 2026 · 7 minute read
Locating a person is an area where the line between lawful work and a violation runs particularly close. The same request may be entirely lawful if it concerns a debtor or an heir, and impermissible if behind it lies pursuit or a conflict that a person deliberately left.
The guide explains how admissibility is assessed: what counts as a lawful basis, which categories of requests are declined regardless of budget, how establishing the fact of residence in a country differs from disclosing an exact address, and why in certain situations the result is passed on only through a lawyer or a court. Family and inheritance situations are addressed separately, where the requester's interest is lawful but contact may be undesirable for the person located.
This material is not legal advice: the admissibility of a specific request is assessed separately, taking the jurisdiction into account.
Who this material is for
- to creditors and their lawyers
- to heirs and participants in family situations
- to companies searching for an evasive defendant
- to those unsure of the admissibility of their request
Questions covered in this guide
- what counts as a lawful basis for a search
- which requests are always declined
- exactly what is disclosed to the requester as a result
- how the interests of the person being located are taken into account
- how a search differs from surveillance
Contents
- Lawful basis: how it is verified
- Categories of requests that are not accepted
- What can be established by lawful methods
- Form of the result and protection of the located person's interests
- Family and inheritance situations
- When the result is passed on only through a lawyer
Locating a person is not guaranteed. Exact personal data is disclosed only where a lawful basis exists and to a permissible extent.
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.