July 21, 2015
Below is an article we wrote nearly 5 years ago, back when we co-owned a private detective agency. In it, we shared our pros and cons on being a married PI team. Fast forward to today…Shaun is a full-time & then some lawyer and yours truly is a part-time PI and writer. We love our current jobs, but sometimes we look back at our 24/7 sleuthing days together and miss them.
The Challenges of Co-Owning a PI Agency
We weathered a lot during the 10+ years we co-owned the PI agency, such as:
- Keeping the agency afloat during some tough recession years
- Tackling cases that broke our hearts (a missing child, a young man brainwashed by a cult, a husband crying over his wife’s infidelity)
- Meshing our work styles (Shaun’s a big-picture kinda guy & Colleen’s a detailed-oriented kinda gal…mix ’em together for some entertaining conflicts).
Then One Day…
We eloped. Bought our wedding cake on the way to the justice of the peace (bakery owner just happened to have a bride & groom figure to put on top of a blue and white cake). Our wedding decorations consisted of a big bow we taped to a tree. We loved every moment.
Missing the PI Team
The other day I did a difficult locate (finding a person) for one of Shaun’s legal cases. He was immensely relieved when I found the person as his case pivoted on that locate. Then he said, “I really miss when we worked together as PIs.”
Back when we were working side-by-side, 24/7, he didn’t always miss me, though 🙂
Without further ado, our pros and cons “back in the day”…
Working with Your PI Spouse: For Better, for Worse
(January 2012)
At Guns, Gams, and Gumshoes, we’re a couple of PIs who also write…and are also married to each other. This can be great…and sometimes challenging. Today we’ll each answer “what are the pros and cons” of being a married PI team.
Shaun’s Pros
- You really know your partner, there’s no learning curve.
- During those times when you have to improvise or pretext, you can cue your partner and pick up their cues, which makes what you’re trying to accompli
sh believeable and effective.
- There’s no need to inform your work partner of demands or troubles in your personal life because she knows!
Shaun’s Cons
First of all, I’m a brave man for being the first to answer this question, but I’ve been granted absolute immunity. Here’s my cons:
- You can’t bullshit your partner about anything, and there’s no hiding behind your moods.
- Whereas other households might have two spouses with independent revenue streams, the married-PI couple is often working the same job. If that client’s check bounces, it can hit us hard.
- Chasing cheating spouses can be deleterious to one’s libido. After a night of watching spouses cheat, I’m not always in the mood if you get my drift.
Colleen’s Pros
- Sometimes being a husband-and-wife PI team gets us the case. For example, a client thinks his wife will be meeting her paramour at a swanky restaurant — we can easily fit into that scenario as another couple dining in that restaurant, even being romantic together, versus a PI sitting alone at a table.
- Shaun’s a big-picture person, I’m a detailed person. Together, we get a good snapshot of a case.
- Shaun trained a lot of PIs over the years in his attorney practice, so if I’m working a new type of case, I get the benefit of working side-by-side with a mentor (or having one on call).
Colleen’s Cons
- It’s that big-picture thing. Sometimes I don’t understand how he glosses over the details.
- We’ve had clients who think two-for-the-price-of-one. No, just because we’re married doesn’t mean we each get paid half-price.
- When we’re both in the field, there’s no one to call at home to let the dogs out.
All rights reserved by Colleen Collins and Shaun Kaufman. Any use of the content (including images owned by Colleen Collins and/or Shaun Kaufman) requires specific, written authority. The Nick and Nora illustration in this article is licensed by Colleen Collins from the artist for per personal use – please do not copy/distribute/use as this illustration is copyright protected.