Domestic violence investigation in Ontario starts with one rule: your safety comes before evidence. If you are in danger right now, call 911. For free, confidential support at any hour, call the Assaulted Women’s Helpline at 1-866-863-0511 (GTA 416-863-0511), text #SAFE (#7233) on a Bell, Rogers, Fido or TELUS phone, or visit the Ontario government supports page. You can also dial 2-1-1.
PiPro is not a crisis service. We are a licensed Ontario investigation agency. We help survivors, their lawyers and their families document stalking, harassment, threats and order breaches, so the facts are clear when you ask a court or the police for protection.
How an investigator can help
Evidence matters in several places: a restraining order or peace bond application, a family court motion about parenting time, a criminal prosecution, or a safety plan. A licensed investigator can contribute in specific, lawful ways.
Documenting stalking and harassment
If someone follows you, appears at your home or workplace, or keeps showing up where you are, we can record dated observations, identify vehicles and capture the pattern. A clear pattern is easier for police and courts to act on than scattered memories.
Documenting breaches of orders
When a no-contact condition, peace bond or restraining order exists, we can document apparent breaches from public places and give your lawyer or the police a clean record.
Checking for tracking devices
Unknown GPS trackers and hidden devices are a real part of controlling behaviour. Our bug sweep and TSCM service inspects vehicles, homes and personal items.
Preserving digital evidence
Threatening messages, voicemails and posts can be deleted. We guide you on keeping original files with their metadata and capture public posts with dates and context. We do not break into anyone’s accounts.
Background checks on a new partner or a person of concern
We can research public court records, prior orders, business interests and open sources, so you can make safer decisions about contact and housing. See also our investigative research service.
Locating a person for service of court documents
If the other party has moved or is avoiding service, our skip tracing team can help your lawyer find a current address.
What an investigator cannot and will not do
- We do not act as police and we have no power to arrest or enforce an order.
- We do not confront the person who is harming you. Confrontation can increase risk.
- We do not access private phones, email, banking or social accounts, and we do not record private conversations we are not part of.
- We do not give legal advice. Your lawyer or a legal clinic does that.
Peace bonds, restraining orders and the evidence behind them
A peace bond is a criminal court order under the Criminal Code. You apply through your local courthouse, and the Ontario Court of Justice guide to applying for a peace bond explains that it cannot be issued right away and that you should bring photo ID and any documents about incidents, such as dates, photographs, hospital records and police occurrence numbers. A restraining order is a different tool available through family court.
Whichever route you use, courts respond to clear, dated, organized material. A lawyer, a legal clinic or Legal Aid Ontario can help you choose the right route.
A simple evidence checklist
- Write a dated note after every incident with the time, place, who was present and what was said or done.
- Keep original messages, emails and photos. Do not forward or crop them until a lawyer tells you how.
- Back up everything in a second safe place that the other person cannot access.
- Collect police occurrence numbers, medical records and names of people who saw or heard events.
- Give your lawyer everything relevant, including material that is less favourable. Courts expect full disclosure.
How we protect you during an engagement
We agree on a safe way to reach you before we start. That may be a new email address, a trusted friend’s phone, or a time window when you are alone. We deliver reports in a way that avoids leaving a trail on a shared device or in a shared home. If the situation becomes dangerous, we pause the investigation and refer you to police and support services.
We also keep the full investigator file. In E.M.B. v. M.F.B. (2021 ONSC 3691), surveillance was excluded because the investigator’s full file was not disclosed. A careful, complete file protects your credibility.
Serving Toronto and the GTA
We work across Toronto, Peel, York and Durham, and we know how to operate around condo buildings, shelters, transit routes and courthouses without drawing attention. When a custody dispute is also in play, our child custody investigation and divorce and family teams coordinate with your lawyer.
Speak with PiPro in confidence
If you need to document what is happening, call 416-912-7755 from a safe phone or use our contact page. If you are in danger, call 911 first.
