Instruct in under five minutes. Three ways.
A single trace with a card saved and charged only on delivery, a firm account with a portal and one monthly invoice, or straight from your own system through the API. Whichever you choose, a person reads the instruction before work starts.
Three ways to instruct
Same trace, same report, same rule: charged only on a find.
A single trace, now
Use the instruction form, choose "An organisation or a client", give the firm name and your matter reference, and save a card. Nothing is charged until the report is delivered. £150 Standard, £225 Express, £295 Priority.
A firm account
Ten or more a month. Request an account, and after a short identity and purpose check every fee earner signs in with an emailed link. Shared case list, matter references, one monthly invoice. £125 Standard, Express and Priority at the professional prices.
Bulk upload or API
On a firm account, upload a spreadsheet of up to 250 subjects with a preview of every row before anything is instructed, or instruct from your own system through the API with signed webhooks on every status change.
What to send
The full legal name plus at least one of a date of birth or a previous address. A last known address from the file is usually enough to start. Anything else raises the confidence rating: other names, approximate age, telephone numbers, email addresses, an employer, a partner or a relative. The purpose and, for a firm account, the matter reference.
Timings
| Standard | Within 3 to 5 working days, most sooner. | £150 single, £125 on account |
|---|---|---|
| Express | Within 48 hours. Worked the day it is accepted. | £225 |
| Priority | Within 24 hours. Same working day when instructed before noon. | £295 |
Every instruction is read by a person before work starts. If a purpose is unclear we ask before we trace, and if it cannot be recorded as lawful we decline and nothing is charged.
On the account
- Sign in by emailed link, no passwords to manage. Colleagues added on request.
- Every case shows who instructed it, when, its status and its report.
- Invoices in the portal with a PDF and a line per matter reference, plus a CSV of the month's cases for the ledger.
- API keys and a webhook URL under Settings, rotatable at any time.
Run by a professional investigator, built for the file.
Trace Bureau was founded and is run by a working UK investigator who has spent years locating people for solicitors, creditors, landlords and executors. Every instruction is read, worked and signed off by a person who knows what a real trail looks like, and the report is written for the person who has to rely on it: dated, rated, referenced to your matter, and priced for the work rather than the letterhead. About Trace Bureau.
Other pages in this section
Service of proceedings
An address for service.
Read moreEnforcement and insolvency
Judgment debtors and insolvency work.
Read moreProbate and estates
Missing beneficiaries and next of kin.
Read moreFamily
Respondents and absent parents.
Read moreThe report
What arrives on the file.
Read moreCompliance
Lawful basis, data and records.
Read moreQuestions firms ask
Anything else, email [email protected] and a person replies within one working day.
How long does it take to instruct?
Under five minutes for a single trace. On a firm account, a case in the portal takes about a minute, and a bulk upload of up to 250 rows a few minutes including the preview.
When is the card charged on a single instruction?
Never at instruction. The card is saved by our payment provider and charged only when a report rated Confirmed or Probable is delivered. A Possible result is offered at half the fee and you choose.
How does a firm account pay?
One invoice a month for delivered cases only, each line carrying the matter reference, on 14-day terms by bank transfer. No card per case.
Can we instruct from our case management system?
Yes, through the API with an account key issued in the portal. Instructions carry the matter reference and results come back by signed webhook. The bulk upload template also suits an export from most systems.
Can I change the tier after instructing?
Reply to the confirmation email or contact us from the case in the portal and we will move it to Express or Priority where the case has not yet been delivered.
What if I tick the wrong box on the instruction form?
Anyone acting for a client or an organisation is on the professional list, and the terms say that list applies to professional instructions whichever box was ticked. Ticking the right one simply makes the report and the invoice correct first time.
Ready to instruct?
A single trace now, or a firm account for the practice.