NICHOLS & Associates, LLC
573-864-7402
Columbia, Jefferson City, Fulton, Boonville, Mexico
Moberly, Lake of the Ozarks
NICHOLS & Associates, LLC
573-864-7402
Columbia, Jefferson City, Fulton, Boonville, Mexico
Moberly, Lake of the Ozarks
Professional Private Investigator
We are a locally owned private investigations business in Columbia, Missouri. My practice of helping people continued in the private sector following a gratifying 25 year career in law enforcement, 15 of which as a criminal investigator. Although we offer a broad range of services, our most sought after include auto crash reviews for accuracy verification, personal injury investigations, civil case investigations, interviews, people locates / skip trace, wrongful death, service of process (subpoenas, summons, court orders) and notary.
Testimonials
“I hired Jeff for an issue regarding the safety of my children. I was extremely pleased with the service and results I obtained from the investigation. What really stood out was the professionalism in the business communication. Jeff was very responsive throughout the entire process. Whether it was an investigation report, a legal document, or a response to a text message, everything was always handled promptly and professionally. I have nothing but good things to say about my experience with this company and would highly recommend them based on my own experience.”
Blake R.
private client
"Thank you so much for everything you did to help us get some justice for my husband and some peace for our family. God bless you."
C.O.
private client
"We have now settled with our 26th defendant. Your work was invaluable and you were a real pleasure to work with. We could never have done it without you. Your tenacity and people skills blew the case wide open for us. On behalf of the Santulli family, on behalf of my law firm, and on behalf of everyone who wants to stop hazing, we send you a big Thank You."
David Bianchi
Attorney at Law
Stewart Tilghman Fox Bianchi & Cain PA
Miami, FL
"My home was broken into and numerous irreplaceable items were taken. I made a police report but all I could think about was what could I be doing to get my stuff back. I reached out to Jeff who did a great job of explaining how the police investigate this type of crime and what we could do to locate my belongings. Combined with what the police were able to do, and what Jeff and I did, we started locating my belongings! Jeff was very helpful."
Chris A.
private client
“I just want to give a compliment to Jeff Nichols for his services. He is extremely good at his job, but he also has the experience and wisdom for some solid advice throughout the process. Mr. Nichols’ integrity throughout our interactions allowed me to feel comfortable that I was being given advice based on what I wanted, and not based on a process that would increase the fees he must charge to cover his services. He seemed to be very honest and caring and promptly provided the information I requested from him. My experience leaves me with one opinion: Highly Recommended!”
N.L.A.
private client
"I have worked with Jeff Nichols for a number of years. I have a litigation practice, which means many people that have to be served in order for the Court to gain jurisdiction and the case to proceed. Before being introduced to Jeff, I had used many different private investigators and process servers, but was never overly pleased. I received many responses of "non-est" meaning the party could not be found to be served. Not that it couldn't happen in the future, but for all the years I've used Jeff, he has been able to offer creative solutions to difficult service cases and has been able to obtain service in every single case I have used him for. From my perspective, there is absolutely no reason to use any other private investigator or process server to obtain service of process as his fees are extremely reasonable and his professionalism and competency are unmatched. It is also important to note that I have also used him as a private investigator and his prior detective career apparently prepared him quite well for that as well."
Ernie Ueligger
Partner, Attorney at Law
Jones & Ueligger Law, LLC
"Nichols & Associates set the bar high when it comes to investigating, serving process, and inquiry of witnesses. Jeff Nichols’ insurmountable experience in investigative work shows in the product he provides for our firm. Both professionally speaking and personally speaking, Nichols & Associates go above and beyond to provide the very best service to their clients. I have hired Jeff for countless investigative needs including but not limited to; face to face interviews of witnesses, phone call interviews, special process and many other services. There is no other investigative firm I trust to handle time sensitive material and confidential issues. Jeff handles each request with the utmost professionalism and courtesy so we can acquire vital information for our clients. Jeff Nichols will work until the job is complete and we have what we need to move forward. Thank you Jeff for your persistence in all that you do for us!"
Aimee Harrison
Legal Assistant
"We have been using Jeff Nichols for our process and skip trace work in mid-Missouri and he does an outstanding job of accurately, professionally and promptly serving process. We use him for private investigations as well. We were delighted to discover Mr. Nichols and plan to utilize him for all our service work."
Betsy Jones
Legal Assistant
"Jeff Nichols is wonderful to work with. He provides exceptional service with good communication, response time and effectiveness. If you are looking for a dependable private investigator, you will not be disappointed in his services."
Taylor Walker
Legal Assistant
"Our family law practice has worked with Jeff Nichols for the past few years and he has always shown great professionalism and reliability. He allows me to send him packets electronically which saves us time and has always come through on our more difficult, time-sensitive cases. He keeps us updated on the status of service and provides detailed information and photos to explain how service was accomplished, especially in cases involving high conflict individuals. Our firm would recommend Nichols & Associates, LLC to any law firm looking for a quick and reliable special process server for a great price in this area. "
Taylor Lacey
Law Office Manager
FAQ
Q) Is a private investigator, or PI, able to perform similar tasks to that of law enforcement?
Yes and No. Private investigators are civilians and do not have police powers. It's illegal for a private investigator to impersonate a law enforcement officer. However, private investigators have regulated standards in Missouri that provide guidelines for what they can do. They are also required by law to hold a state PI license, maintain E&O coverage and attend annual continuing education courses. PI's can conduct surveillance assignments, perform background investigations, conduct interviews, take photos that may be used as evidence in court, as well as testify in a court proceeding. PI's may also be used for locating people or for serving legal documents.
Q) Do you charge a consultation fee?
No. I'm happy to talk to prospects about their case at no cost. If I can't help I'm happy to utilize my professional network to make referrals.
Q) Are all private investigators the same?
No. The private investigation business is like any industry. You will find that investigators have varying skill sets, training / education, service offerings and fee schedules. Make sure to do your homework before contacting a private investigator for your specific needs. Even if I don't offer a service you're looking for, feel free to reach out as I'm happy to refer you to someone who may be able to help. Most of my connections have a law enforcement background, or are proven to be highly competent.
Q) Can you get background information that isn't available through the internet?
That depends. We subscribe to databases that can't be accessed by anyone without a legitimate investigations business. Some personal information we can't obtain because it is protected by law, such as medical records protected by HIPAA. So, depending on what type of information is being requested will determine whether or not we will have legal access to it.