Tracing that stands up in court. Charged only on a find.
A dated, rated report with the current registered address. Priority turnaround within 24 hours for hearings and limitation dates. One monthly invoice with your matter references. Nothing invoiced for a no-find, and a fraction of what firms have been paying.
Croydon CR0 4XA
Priced for the work, not the letterhead.
Every tier is no-find, no-fee and comes with the dated, rated report. Ten or more traces a month brings the price down again.
Standard
£100
Within 3 to 5 working days.
- Current registered address, confidence rating, date
- Matter reference on the case and the invoice line
- Signed statement on request
- Invoiced only if found
Express
£150
Within 48 hours.
- Everything in Standard
- Worked the day it is accepted
- For deadlines that are close but not tomorrow
- Invoiced only if found
Priority
£195
Within 24 hours. Same working day if instructed before noon.
- Everything in Express
- Worked immediately by a senior tracer
- For hearings, limitation dates and injunctions
- Invoiced only if found
Ten or more traces a month: £85 per Standard trace, bulk upload, shared case list, one invoice. Open a firm account.
Where firms use it
Every instruction is checked for a lawful basis before work starts. These purposes are recognised legitimate interests and are accepted without further paperwork.
Service of proceedings
Establish where a defendant is currently registered before service, with a dated report and a signed statement if service is later challenged.
Enforcement
Current registered address for a judgment debtor. Add employer for attachment of earnings, or a mobile number for pre-action contact.
Probate and family
Beneficiaries, next of kin, absent parents for maintenance enforcement, respondents in ancillary relief.
What the firm gets
Built for the way a practice actually works: matters, references, invoices, more than one fee earner.
The usual tracing agent
- Email a request, wait for a quote, pay up front
- £350 and more per trace has been normal
- An address in an email, no confidence rating, no date
- Receipts to reconcile against matters
Trace Bureau firm account
- Instruct in the portal, by bulk upload or through the API, any fee earner
- Invoiced only when the address is found
- Dated, rated PDF report, exhibit-ready
- One monthly invoice, matter reference on every line
Questions solicitors ask
Anything else, email hello@tracebureau.co.uk and a person replies within one working day.
Can the report be used as an exhibit?
Yes. Every report sets out the current registered address, the confidence rating and the date. On request we provide a signed statement for exhibiting to a certificate or statement of service.
Why is this so much cheaper than we have paid before?
Because the price reflects the work, not the client. Firms have routinely paid £350 and more for a trace that arrives as an address in an email. Ours is £100 with a dated, rated report, and nothing at all when we cannot find them.
How are traces invoiced?
One invoice a month, each line carrying your matter reference, so disbursements go straight onto the ledger. Paid by Direct Debit or bank transfer on 14-day terms.
What happens on a no-find?
Nothing is invoiced. You receive a short note of what was checked, which is often useful in itself for an application for substituted service.
Can several fee earners instruct?
Yes. Your account has a shared case list, and any fee earner can instruct online or by bulk upload. Every case shows who instructed it and when.
How fast is Priority?
Instructed before noon, delivered the same working day in most cases, and always within 24 hours. Use it for hearings, limitation dates and urgent injunctions.
What do you need to start?
The full legal name plus a date of birth or a previous address. A last known address from the file is usually enough. The more you send, the higher the confidence rating.
Is this compliant?
Trace Bureau is ICO registered and records a legitimate interests assessment on every instruction. Litigation, enforcement, probate and service of proceedings are recognised legitimate interests under UK GDPR.
Open a firm account
Reply within one working day. Accounts open after a short identity and purpose check.