The work of a private detective is to conduct investigations, usually for a business, private citizen and organization. They can even work for attorneys in criminal cases and civil cases on the behalf of a client or defense attorney. In fact, these investigators can even work for insurance firms for investigation of suspicious insurance claims. Some private investigators are hired to gather evidence of illegal conduct or adultery within marriage to establish proper grounds for child custody or marriage. Specialized services Adultery cases or "socially unexcitable behavior" by partners or spouses is known to be profitable activities undertaken by investigators. Private detectives conduct background checks, locating of missing persons, skip tracing and other services. There are many agencies that specialize in specific fields. For instance, some agencies master in skip tracing, while others in surveillance and so on. No specific work timing There is no specific working hours for private detective. It depends on the case they are dealing with. Their work schedule as well as the working hour is completely irregular. In fact, due to the privacy of their work, they need to contact such people who prefer to stay under cover during the normal working hours. Generally, investigators need to do field work and they hardly stay inside the office room. Most of the times, you will see them conducting surveillance and interviews. Those who have their own setup hire the service of other investigators who primarily have normal working hours. License required for carrying weapons If you need to carry guns then make sure that you have appropriate license for that. Most of the times, this is not necessary as the real purpose of the work is to simply gather detail information and not criminal apprehension or law enforcement.