Terms of Engagement

TODO(owner): verify with counsel. These terms are a build artifact and must be reviewed and finalized by legal counsel before they are published or used to contract with a client.

In these terms, “we,” “us,” and “Black Briar Group” mean Black Briar Group INC, a licensed Ontario private investigation agency, and “client” means the organization or person that retains us.

Services are provided only under a written engagement

We accept and perform work only under a signed written engagement that defines the purpose, scope, authorized hours or budget, and deliverables for the assignment. Nothing on this website, and no informal discussion, creates an engagement or obligates us to act until that written agreement is in place. We may decline or end an engagement, including where a conflict check does not clear or where the requested work would not be lawful.

Client responsibilities

By retaining us, the client agrees that:

• the investigation is sought for a lawful purpose and the client has a legitimate basis to pursue it;
• the information and instructions the client provides — including subject details, file or claim references, and the objective — are accurate and complete to the best of the client’s knowledge; and
• the client will use the evidence and reports we deliver only for the lawful purpose for which the engagement was undertaken.

Confidentiality — both ways

We treat the existence of an engagement, the client’s instructions, and all case information as confidential, and we disclose them only to the retaining client or as required by law. In turn, the client agrees to keep our methods, non-public business information, and the contents of our reports confidential, and to share them only with those who need them for the lawful purpose of the engagement.

Ownership and permitted use of evidence and reports

On full payment, the reports and evidence we prepare for an engagement are provided to the client for the purpose for which they were commissioned — typically claims adjudication and related legal proceedings. The client may use them for that purpose, including disclosure to its counsel and in litigation, but may not repurpose them for an unrelated use or publish them in a way that is unlawful or that compromises the privacy obligations described in our Privacy Policy. We retain our own working files and the right to keep records as required by law and our retention schedule.

TODO(owner): verify with counsel the exact allocation of ownership, licence, and permitted-use rights before publication.

Limitation of liability

TODO(owner): verify with counsel — limitation of liability clause to be drafted and finalized by counsel. A limitation-of-liability provision (including any cap, exclusions of indirect or consequential loss, and carve-outs) will be set out here and in the written engagement once reviewed by counsel. We carry $2M commercial general liability plus errors & omissions coverage, with certificates of insurance available on request.

No guarantee of outcome

We commit to diligent, professional, and lawful work, but we do not and cannot guarantee any particular result — what surveillance or an investigation will reveal, or how evidence will be weighed in a proceeding. Any statement we make about our services is intended to be accurate and substantiable; we do not promise specific findings or success rates.

Fees

Fees, rates, expenses, and billing arrangements are set out in the written engagement agreed with each client. We bill against the authorized hours or budget defined for the assignment and provide itemized invoicing.

Governing law

These terms and any engagement are governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario and the laws of Canada applicable in it, and the courts of Ontario have jurisdiction over any dispute arising from them.

Questions about these terms can be directed to inquiries@blackbriargroup.ca.