When assumptions are not sufficient for a decision, circumstances must be established and recorded
BLACKFILE helps establish and document factual circumstances: presence at a particular location, meetings, routes, use of a premises, business activity and sequence of events.
Work is carried out only where there is a lawful purpose, taking into account the rules of the specific country and privacy requirements. Each item receives a date, context, source and description of limitations.
At the first stage, do not submit sensitive materials. It is enough to describe the circumstance that needs to be established, the country and the purpose of the matter.
DATE / TIME
PLACE CONTEXT
OBSERVED FACT
SOURCE
CONFIRMATION
LIMITS
Each statement is checked separately and given its own status
02 / INITIAL SITUATION
A party's statement and an established circumstance are different things
In a dispute, each party presents its own version of events. Until a circumstance is established and recorded with a date, context and a clear origin, it remains a statement that is difficult to rely on in negotiations or proceedings.
Documentation does not replace a legal assessment. It provides the legal team with material that can be verified: what exactly was observed, when, in what context, by what means it was established, and where the limits of the work lie.
We record what can be lawfully established, and state directly what could not be established.
03 / WHEN THE SERVICE IS NEEDED
When the decision depends on facts rather than the parties' accounts
01
Corporate or contractual dispute
It is necessary to establish a party's actual activity, the use of a property, or the sequence of significant events.
02
Preparation of a legal position
The legal team needs more than statements - it needs structured material with a date, context, and clear origin.
03
Verification of performance of obligations
It is necessary to establish whether actual conduct corresponds to the agreed terms.
04
Asset protection
It is necessary to verify the use of real estate, vehicles, equipment, or another object.
05
Internal corporate investigation
It is necessary to establish the circumstances of an incident without unlawful interference in employees' private lives.
06
Insurance or property dispute
It is necessary to verify facts relevant to the assessment of claims and the parties' positions.
07
Locating a person or a debtor
Documentation is applied after the subject has been lawfully identified, and only within permissible limits.
04 / WHAT CAN BE DOCUMENTED
Open circumstances established within permissible limits
The scope of work is determined by the task and the rules of the specific country. We state in advance what can be lawfully established and what cannot be established under any circumstances.
01
Presence and movement
presence in a publicly accessible place
open movement
visits to an organization or site
sequence of events
02
Activity and contacts
publicly observable business activity
meetings and contacts within the scope permitted by law
circumstances of performance of obligations
03
Objects and assets
use of an asset
actual condition of a property
indications of regular use
04
Preparation of material
date and time interval
country and general context of the location
type of material and its connection to the task
chain of custody, when required
05
What is not documented
circumstances inside a private residence
private correspondence and the content of conversations
audio interception and device installation
access to devices and private geolocation
any actions requiring covert intrusion
06
Distinguishing types of information
directly established fact
analytical conclusion
assumption
third-party information
EVIDENCE LOG
Each episode is given a date, context, source and description of its limitations
05 /
Исходное утверждение
The party claims not to have visited the premises during the period in question
Дата и интервал
Day 1 · 09:40-11:15
Контекст места
Business district, publicly accessible area
Source
Observation within permissible limits
Independent confirmation
Confirmed by a second occurrence during the same period
Limitations
Interior premises were not documented
Red marks a material confirmed discrepancy with the original information
06 / RESULT
A log of established events and an honest list of what was not confirmed
The materials are structured so that a legal team can work with them without further transcription.
R-01 / RESULT
Event log
A list of episodes with date, time interval, location context and description of the observed fact.
R-02 / RESULT
Verified chronology
A sequence of events indicating which were independently confirmed and which remained isolated.
R-03 / RESULT
Documentation materials
Photo or video materials, if obtained lawfully, with a description of their origin and the conditions under which they were obtained.
R-04 / RESULT
Map of meetings and connections
Structure of observed contacts without publishing sensitive data about participants.
R-05 / RESULT
Confirmed and unconfirmed
Division of statements into established, partially confirmed and unconfirmed, with contradictions noted.
R-06 / RESULT
Methodology and limitations
Description of the methods used, the legal limitations of the country and what was not documented as a matter of principle.
The admissibility of the materials is determined by applicable law and the client's legal advisers. BLACKFILE does not guarantee that the materials will be accepted by a court or other authority.
07 / CLIENTS
For those who need verifiable material, not a retelling
CL-01 / CLIENT
Legal teams
When a position is built on circumstances that need to be established and put on record before proceedings.
CL-02 / CLIENT
Companies in dispute
When a counterparty states one thing, while the actual activity or use of the object appears different.
CL-03 / CLIENT
Asset owners
When it is necessary to verify the actual use of real estate, vehicles or equipment.
CL-04 / CLIENT
Insurance and property disputes
When the assessment of a claim depends on circumstances that no one has recorded.
CL-05 / CLIENT
Corporate security
When it is necessary to establish the circumstances of an incident without intruding on employees' private lives.
CL-06 / CLIENT
Creditors and their representatives
When, after a debtor has been located, it is necessary to confirm their actual position.
08 / SCENARIOS
How an established circumstance changes a position
FD-01Asset UseA composite example based on typical tasks
Documenting the use of an asset during a dispute
Задача. Legitimate purpose - protection of a proprietary interest in a dispute. Fact under verification: a party's statement that the property is not in use. Method: observation from adjacent publicly accessible territory during an agreed period.
Результат. Signs of regular use of the property were recorded during morning and evening hours over four days. Materials were provided to the legal team with dates and a description of context. Limitations: interior premises were not documented, the condition of the property inside was not verified.
FD-02Meeting LogA composite example based on typical tasks
Establishing a sequence of meetings ahead of legal proceedings
Задача. Legitimate purpose - preparation of a position in a corporate dispute. Fact under verification: the existence of business contacts between the parties that had been denied. Method: documenting meetings in publicly accessible locations.
Результат. Two meetings in public spaces were confirmed, with dates and intervals recorded. The content of the conversations was not established or recorded. Materials were prepared as an event log. Limitations: the connection between the meetings and the subject of the dispute remains a matter for legal assessment.
FD-03Business ActivityA composite example based on typical tasks
Verification of a company's actual activity at its declared address
Задача. Legitimate purpose - counterparty verification prior to legal action. Fact under verification: a statement that no activity takes place at the registered address. Method: observation in a publicly accessible area and comparison with open sources.
Результат. Publicly observable activity at the address during working hours was established over four days, which was inconsistent with the party's statement. Limitations: staff composition and the nature of the work were not established.
FD-04Contract PerformanceA composite example based on typical tasks
Documenting performance of contractual obligations
Задача. Legitimate purpose - assessment of contract performance. Fact under verification: whether actual conduct matched agreed delivery terms. Method: recording openly observable circumstances at agreed locations.
Результат. Part of the obligations was confirmed documentarily; confirmation could not be obtained for one episode - this is stated directly in the report. Limitations: absence of confirmation does not mean the event did not occur.
The scenarios presented are composite examples based on typical tasks. They are not descriptions of specific completed projects. BLACKFILE does not document circumstances inside private premises and does not use technical interception devices.
09 / PROCESS
First a legal assessment of the task, then agreement on methods and limits
01
Initial assessment
The client describes the circumstance that needs to be established and the purpose of the task.
02
Legality assessment
We assess the legitimate purpose, conflicts of interest and the admissibility of the task itself.
03
Defining the circumstances
We formulate specific verifiable statements, not a general wish.
04
Country requirements
We take into account the rules of the specific jurisdiction and privacy limitations.
05
Agreeing the limits
We record the methods, timeframe, locations, and what will not be documented.
06
Documentation
We establish the circumstances within permissible limits, recording the date and context.
07
Verification
We check dates, materials and sequence, and look for independent confirmation.
08
Event log
We form a structured log separating facts, conclusions and assumptions.
09
Delivery of materials
We deliver the result through a secure channel with a description of the methodology and limitations.
VERIFICATION→DOCUMENTATION→INTERNATIONALCost depends on the country, duration, number of specialists, locations, required permits and requirements for the presentation of materials. All third-party expenses are agreed in advance.
10 / ENGAGEMENT FORMAT
Engagement formats and cost
Choose the engagement format based on the number of circumstances, locations and countries.
01
Factual Verification
From €3,000
Timeframe determined by the task
Cost depends on the country, duration, number of specialists, locations and requirements for the presentation of materials. Third-party expenses are agreed in advance.
Verification of one specific statement with dates and context recorded.
Included
one circumstance
one object
one primary location
limited period
event log
brief analytical material
02Recommended format
Extended Documentation
From €6,000 to €18,000
Timeframe determined by the task
Cost depends on the country, duration, number of specialists, locations and requirements for the presentation of materials. Third-party expenses are agreed in advance.
Work on several statements with a documentary timeline and verification of contradictions.
Included
multiple circumstances
several dates or locations
documentary timeline
verification of contradictions
photo and video materials where admissible
detailed report
materials for the legal team
03International
Complex International Assignment
On request
Timeframe is determined after assessment
The cost is determined after assessment of the matter and depends on the countries involved, duration, and formatting requirements. Third-party expenses are agreed in advance.
Work across several jurisdictions with multiple subjects and a complex legal matter.
Included
several countries
extended period
multiple subjects
complex legal matter
coordination with legal teams
individual materials format
11 / LAWFULNESS
There are matters we do not accept under any circumstances
BLACKFILE does not accept matters involving harassment, intimidation, domestic violence, political pressure, invasion of privacy, or circumvention of court restrictions.
Prohibited and not performed: entry into private premises, unlawful audio recording, interception of communications, installation of devices, obtaining private geolocation, use of unlawful databases, provocation, and stalking of a person.
Circumstances observed in publicly accessible places: presence, open movement, visits to an organization, publicly observable business activity, use of a property and its actual condition. Anything requiring entry into private space, interception, or technical devices falls outside our work.
Yes, but rules differ substantially: what is permissible in one jurisdiction is prohibited in another. Before starting work, we assess the requirements of the specific country and state directly if a task cannot be carried out there by lawful means.
Procedural admissibility is determined by applicable law and the client's legal counsel. We prepare materials so they can be worked with conveniently: date, time interval, location context, description of origin and limitations. No one can guarantee that materials will be accepted by a court, and we do not promise this.
We do not install devices, do not record in private spaces, and do not use covert technical means. Photo and video materials are possible only where permitted by the law of the specific country, and always with a description of the conditions of acquisition.
By three criteria: legality in the specific jurisdiction, proportionality to the task, and absence of interference with private life. If a method fails even one criterion, it is not applied, even if technically possible.
Yes, this is one of the common tasks: signs of regular use, the actual condition of the property, and circumstances observable from publicly accessible territory are recorded. Interior premises are not documented.
It is entered into the report as unconfirmed, with an indication of the period and conditions of work. We always add a caveat: the absence of confirmation does not mean the event did not occur. We will not present the absence of a result as proof of the opposite.
Each episode is given a code, date, time interval, location context, description of the observed fact, source, degree of confirmation, and limitations. Established fact, analytical conclusion, assumption, and third-party information are separated distinctly.
Factual Verification - from €3,000, Extended Documentation - from €6,000 to €18,000, international tasks - on request. The cost depends on the country, duration, number of specialists and locations, and third-party expenses are agreed in advance.
Materials are transmitted through a secure channel, with access limited to the client and persons named by the client. Where necessary, a chain of custody is maintained so the origin of each material can be traced.
Only the client and its legal team, if named by the client. We do not pass materials to third parties and do not disclose the fact of the engagement.
A circumstance ceases to be disputed once it is established, dated and described
14 / INITIAL ASSESSMENT
Describe the circumstance that needs to be established
At the first stage, do not send sensitive materials. It is sufficient to describe the task, the country and the required outcome.
