No. Searching and contacting professionals through the directory is free for families, and The Cold Cases takes no commission on agreements.
Listings are reviewed for misstated credentials, but this is not a background check, so families should verify licences and references themselves.
Contact the licensing authority in the relevant state, since private investigator licensing requirements and public lookup tools vary between states.
Guaranteed results, large upfront payments without a written scope and requests to keep the work hidden from police are serious warning signs.
Usually, yes. Ask how they will share relevant findings with the agency and avoid compromising evidence or witness testimony.