Do you suspect your spouse or partner is cheating on you? This can be a devastating discovery, leading many spouses to attempt to confirm on their own whether or not infidelity is happening.

But should you take on this task yourself or hire a professional to help you? While it may seem cheaper and easier to investigate your spouse alone, it is also dangerous on a number of levels. Here are five dangers that you should avoid.

1. You Might Break the Law

An investigation of any individual must stay within the limits of the law. Privacy laws still abide, even for two people in a relationship. That means you must know what you may be allowed to do — such as keeping a journal of your spouse’s activities — and what you’re not allowed to do, like recording their phone calls. Even when a move may appear to be legal, going about it in the wrong way could change that.

If you break the law or use gray areas to get evidence, you put yourself at risk in two ways. First, you may actually face legal consequences, including your ex-spouse being able to sue you for compensation. Second, your divorce negotiations could be weakened if your information isn’t allowable in a court of law or is frowned upon by a judge.

2. You Might Create a Bad Situation

Infidelity and the potential of a marital breakup is usually a very emotional situation, and it could go wrong in a variety of ways. Confronting your spouse or the other person in the affair may get ugly — and even violent. You’re at risk and your children may even be at risk if tempers flare or anyone makes rash moves. Avoid this personal danger by using a trained professional to help keep things productive.

3. You Might Not Know What to Do

Do you know all the tools available to you for investigating another person? A number of informal methods for following up on suspicions are available to anyone, but more serious investigations call for professional strategies.

For instance, you might be able to research accounts and find out that your spouse has been taking out unexplained amounts of cash from a joint account. But getting any farther in finding out why they did so is more complicated. Investigators may be able to use forensic accountants, follow up with businesses, or find connections you can’t.

4. You Might Not Be Right

Private investigators find that even though a spouse may be reasonably certain their partner is cheating, it may not end up being true. Even the most common signs of cheating — like changing phone passwords or leaving strange charges on credit cards — could turn out to be something completely different.

You need to know for sure. And the best way to be sure is to use a professional. This third-party approach also protects your marriage and emotional wellness if you turn out to be wrong.

5. You Might Need an Ally

When you work with a professional in any situation, you benefit from their advice and experience. Many spouses in your situation have a lot of conflicting emotions and may not know what to do next. Trained professionals can help you make smart decisions and think beyond the immediate sense of betrayal or anxiety. This is especially important if you don’t have a strong support system among friends and family.

Because most people’s ability to fully investigate suspicions of infidelity is limited, trained assistance is a good investment. It may help you find the right evidence, protect yourself, and avoid making wrong decisions. Learn more about how a private investigator can help you in your particular circumstances by calling J.P. Investigative Group, Inc., today. And then you can start getting the peace of mind you need.