Brown, Kaszak & Associates in Baltimore: Corporate and Matrimonial Investigations for High-Net-Worth Cases

Brown, Kaszak & Associates is a full-service private investigation firm operating in Baltimore since the 1970s, handling investigations for attorneys, corporations, and individuals across Maryland and neighboring states. The firm specializes in matrimonial cases, asset discovery, background investigations, and workplace matters, positioning itself at the higher end of Baltimore's investigation market where technical skill and courtroom credibility are expected.

What Brown, Kaszak & Associates actually is

Brown, Kaszak & Associates operates as a general investigation agency with particular depth in matrimonial and corporate work. Unlike single-investigator operations common in the Baltimore area, the firm maintains a stable of investigators and, importantly, holds Maryland Class A Private Investigator licenses across its staff. This credential matters legally: only Class A investigators can testify as expert witnesses in court, a requirement that many Baltimore-area investigations eventually require. The firm works primarily on referral from attorneys, corporate legal departments, and financial institutions, though it accepts direct clients who understand the confidentiality constraints of ongoing legal proceedings.

The firm's client base skews toward people with resources enough to retain counsel and expect detailed, admissible investigation work. Average cases run 40 to 100 billable hours, stretching across weeks or months depending on asset complexity or geographic scope.

Services and pricing structure

Brown, Kaszak & Associates charges by the hour, with rates typically ranging from $85 to $150 per investigator hour, depending on specialization and seniority of the investigator assigned. Matrimonial investigations, which often involve surveillance and asset-tracing, cluster at the higher end of that range. Background investigations and employment screening run lower because they rely partly on database access and public records review. Verify current rates with the firm directly, as investigation rates adjust periodically.

Retainers are standard. A typical matrimonial case retainer starts at $2,500 to $5,000, with the client receiving an accounting of hours spent and a bill for additional time if the case extends beyond that initial prepayment. Database searches, public records pulls, and surveillance photography incur separate charges, usually flat fees of $150 to $400 per service depending on scope.

Court preparation and testimony, should an investigator be called to testify, invoices at the standard hourly rate plus travel time. This adds material cost to high-conflict divorces where the investigation becomes central evidence.

How Brown, Kaszak & Associates compares to other Baltimore investigation options

Baltimore has two tiers of private investigation: small operators (often sole proprietors working from home or a shared office) and established firms. Small operators charge $50 to $75 per hour but typically hold Class B licenses, which permits investigation work but prohibits expert testimony. If your case may go to trial, expert-witness testimony from a Class A investigator becomes necessary, which eliminates the cost savings of hiring down.

Larger Baltimore-based firms like Weiss & Associates and Premier Investigations also offer Class A capabilities and similar hourly rates, typically $100 to $140 per hour. The distinction among them centers on specialization: Weiss focuses heavily on workers' compensation fraud; Premier handles a mix of civil and corporate work. Brown, Kaszak's long track record in matrimonial cases—particularly asset tracing in high-net-worth divorces—is its differentiator. If your investigation centers on proving infidelity or documenting behavior, a solo investigator at lower cost may suffice. If you need detailed asset discovery, a reconstructed spending timeline, or cross-state financial tracking, the institutional knowledge and technical resources at a larger firm reduce legal risk.

Who Brown, Kaszak & Associates suits and who it does not

This firm fits the client preparing for or in the middle of complex litigation, particularly matrimonial cases where assets, custody stakes, or both are substantial. Attorneys refer cases here because the investigation product will be clean enough to withstand cross-examination. Corporate clients use Brown, Kaszak for employee background vetting, embezzlement investigation, and competitive intelligence gathering within legal bounds.

Brown, Kaszak is not a good fit for someone seeking quick, low-cost confirmation of a suspicion. If you want to know whether your spouse is cheating without planning litigation, a smaller investigator or informal asset-checking service may be more cost-appropriate. Similarly, if you need real-time GPS tracking, certain surveillance tactics, or investigation of minors, Maryland law imposes restrictions that no licensed investigator will cross, and Brown, Kaszak's conservative approach to legal compliance means it will decline or severely limit such requests.

What the first engagement involves

Initial contact happens by phone or email, usually directed to the firm's intake coordinator. You will be asked to describe the reason for the investigation, the parties involved, and whether an attorney is already on the case. If you are an attorney, you will discuss scope, timeline, and budget expectations directly. If you are a direct client without counsel, the firm will likely explain that findings will remain confidential and cannot be shared with third parties without written consent from the client who retained the investigation. This confidentiality is both a legal protection and a source of friction: you cannot simply hand findings to a judge without proper chain-of-custody documentation and often without investigator testimony.

A retainer agreement will be signed, spelling out the scope of work, hourly rates, and how costs for database services or surveillance are billed. The investigator then builds a work plan, identifying what records need to be pulled, what locations or persons require investigation, and how long the work is projected to take. You receive weekly or biweekly billing summaries detailing hours, activities, and findings to date.

Hours, location, and logistics

Brown, Kaszak & Associates maintains offices in Baltimore County, with the exact address available upon request given client confidentiality. The firm operates Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., though investigative work itself happens outside those hours (surveillance, for instance, often occurs evenings and weekends). You will not visit the office in person for routine updates; communication happens by phone, email, and written reports delivered securely.

Travel for out-of-state investigation is negotiated as a separate cost, with the investigator charging hourly rates plus mileage at the current IRS rate, typically $0.67 per mile as of 2024. Verify this rate when discussing multi-state cases.

Brown, Kaszak & Associates has maintained professional standing in Maryland for decades because it understands that investigation findings must survive legal scrutiny. That focus on admissibility and compliance, though it increases cost, is precisely why Baltimore attorneys return to it for cases where the investigation itself becomes evidence.