Taking instructions now — the first conversation is freeExhibits posted in from anywhere in the UK, or handed in at ten drop-off pointsQuicker still, give us a ring:0800 6890668
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The first conversation is free · an honest answer before any fee

Describe the situation to an examiner. Who owns the device, what happened, and what you need to know.

This page is for instructing a forensic examination of a computer, drive, removable media or recorder: an employee or partner suspected of taking or deleting data, evidence from your own device for a dispute or a claim, a divorce on the lawful route, an estate, or footage a recorder is about to overwrite. Tell us the situation, who owns the device and the authority you hold, and an examiner replies by email inside one working day with an honest answer: whether we can take it on, what authority we will need to see, and whether the standard forensic report at £800 + VAT or a court expert report, quoted separately, fits your matter. We do not examine mobile phones, and we will not examine anyone else's device without their consent or a court order.

Talk it through with an examiner first
0800 6890668

Before anything else: stop using the device, and do not let anyone have a look at it. Every time a computer is switched on and used, the very artefacts an examination relies on, the timeline, the recently-opened lists, the deleted-file space, are overwritten a little more. Do not reinstall, do not run recovery software, do not let IT open it to check, and keep it powered off. Preserve it as it is, record who has held it, and send it with the authority documents we ask for. If proceedings are contemplated, the duty to preserve evidence has already begun.

Tell us the situation.

An engineer reads what you send and replies by email inside one working day: whether we can take it on, the authority we will need to see, whether the standard report or an expert report fits, and, if the exhibit is to come in, the posting address, the nearest of ten drop-off points and a booking sheet. We examine devices only for the people and organisations with lawful authority over them, and we do not examine mobile phones. The desk runs 9am–5:30pm, Monday to Friday.

What happens after you send it.

The fees in full →
01

An honest answer inside a working day Free

A person reads what you write. Back comes a straight first view: whether we can take it on, the authority we will need to see, whether the standard report answers your questions or an expert report is called for, and, if the exhibit is to come in, the posting address, the nearest drop-off point and a booking sheet.

An examiner writes backUsually the same day
02

Authority checked before anything is read

When the exhibit arrives, your proof of ownership or authority is checked against what you told us before the device is logged, photographed and imaged. A device without it is returned unexamined.

Proof checked firstNothing examined without it
03

The fee, agreed in writing before work starts

The standard report is £800 + VAT for a one-disk system; a second disk is quoted as extra; an expert report is quoted on the questions, the material and the timetable. The fee is agreed before the examination begins, and it is for the examination, not for any particular finding.

One figure, in writingNot contingent on what is found

Sending an exhibit in.

Preserve it firstStop using the device, keep it powered off, and do not let anyone have a look; every use overwrites the artefacts an examination relies on. Record who has held it since the matter arose.
The drive, or the whole deviceIn most desktops and many laptops the drive can be removed and sent on its own; where the storage is soldered in, or the exhibit is a recorder, the whole unit comes in. Tell us which on the form and we will guide you.
Pack it, with the authorityAn anti-static bag inside a padded box with nothing able to move, the booking sheet, and copies of the authority documents we ask for. Your name on the outside of the parcel.
Insure itTracked and insured, at a value that reflects what the evidence is worth to you. Keep the receipt. The journey home is paid for here, and the exhibit returns sealed, with the seal number on the report.

The questions that come up first.

How do I know which report I need?

Tell us the situation and what you need to know, and we will say at the first conversation. Most matters need the standard report: the facts of what the device shows. Where a court has directed expert evidence, or the matter turns on contested opinion about the device, an expert report is quoted. The comparison page sets out the difference.

What if I am not sure I have the authority?

Tell us who owns the device and how you come to have it, and we will tell you what authority is needed, or that it cannot be done. The authority page lists what we ask for in each situation.

Is the fee refundable if nothing is found?

The fee is for the examination and the report, not for any particular finding, because an examination that finds nothing is itself a finding, and an expert's fee cannot depend on the outcome. We tell you honestly at the first conversation whether an examination is likely to answer your questions, before anything is agreed.

Can you collect the device, or examine it on site?

We work from exhibits posted in or handed in at one of ten drop-off points; the nearest is emailed to you from the location on the form. Ask at the first conversation if a matter is urgent and on-site preservation imaging is needed.

Do you examine phones?

No. Mobile phones are not examined on this service. Computers, drives, removable media, NAS and RAID, and recorders are.

An honest answer inside a working day.

Tell us the situation, who owns the device and what you need to know. Until you hear back, stop using the device and keep it as it is.

0800 6890668

Price my jobPacking and posting