To start a skip trace, you need the person’s full name and at least one solid identifier. That can be a date of birth, a last known address, a previous phone number or email address, or an ABN or ACN if the debtor is or was a business. With those, a professional skip tracer has something to anchor the search to.
Anything beyond that makes the trace faster and more likely to succeed. Most of what helps is already sitting in your own files, in credit applications, contracts, invoices and email threads. This article explains what each detail does in a search, where to find it, and what to include when you brief us.
Why a Name Alone Usually Isn’t Enough
Search a common name in a database and you can get dozens of results across several states, many of them out of date. Without something to tie the name to one person, the skip tracer has to rule out each result, and there’s a risk of tracing the wrong person.
An identifier fixes that. Each one works in a slightly different way:
- Date of birth: This is the quickest way to separate people with the same name. It’s often the detail that turns a long list of possible matches into one.
- Last known address: This gives the search a starting point and a date. From there, we can follow property, tenancy and electoral records forward to where the person is now.
- Phone number or email address: Reverse searches on old contact details can link a person to newer records, online accounts and associates, even after the number or email has stopped working.
- ABN or ACN: For a business debtor, this connects the entity to ASIC records, director history and any other companies the same people have been involved in.
Details That Speed Up a Skip Trace
Once the basics are covered, these details help us narrow the search and confirm we’ve found the right person:
- Previous addresses, including old business premises
- Employer or industry
- Names of family members, business partners or known associates
- Vehicle registration
- Social media profiles or usernames
- When the debt was incurred and when you last had contact
- Dates of any returned mail
Dates can be incredibly helpful, since knowing roughly when someone moved tells us which records to focus on and which ones are too old to be useful.
Where to Find This Information in Your Own Records
Before assuming you only have a name, go back through the file. People often forget about useful details they recorded at the start of the relationship.
Credit applications and trade account forms
These usually hold a date of birth, residential address, phone numbers, trade references and sometimes identification details.
Contracts and personal guarantees
Check the parties, addresses and witness details. A guarantee should name the guarantor and include their address.
Invoices, quotes and delivery records
Site and delivery addresses can point to where a person lived or worked, especially in construction and trade disputes.
Email threads
Email signatures often list mobile numbers, job titles and business names that aren’t recorded anywhere else.
Tenancy and loan files
Property managers and lenders usually hold application forms with employment history, previous addresses and emergency contacts.
Court documents
For law firms, pleadings, affidavits and earlier service records can hold addresses and identifiers from earlier in the matter.
Tracing a Company or Its Director
When the debtor is a business, your information should cover the entity and the people behind it. Include the registered company name, any trading names, the ABN and ACN, and the names of directors and any personal guarantors.
If you suspect the business has stopped trading and started again under a new name, tell us. Details such as the same phone number on a new website, the same people running a new entity, or work being done from the same premises can help us link the old company to the new one and find the person responsible.
Context That Belongs in Your Brief
Identifiers find the person. Context helps us run the right search for your purpose.
What you need the trace for: A trace for service of court documents needs a confirmed residential address. A trace ahead of a field call or enforcement may also need to establish where the person works or what assets they hold.
What you’ve already tried: Let us know which searches your team has run and what came back. That saves paying for the same work twice and points us towards the leads that haven’t been checked.
Your deadlines: If a court date is coming up or a limitation period is close, tell us at the start so we can plan the work around it.
The size and age of the debt: This helps us give you an honest view on whether a trace is worth the cost.
What If You Only Have a Name?
It’s still worth a conversation. An unusual name, a known suburb or an old business connection can be enough to get started. A common name with nothing else attached is much harder, and we’ll tell you so before you spend any money on it.
When you send your information, separate what you know from what you think. “Lived at this address in 2023” and “may have moved to the Sunshine Coast” are both useful, but they’re used differently in the search. Mixing confirmed facts with guesses can send a skip tracer down the wrong path.
Start a Skip Trace With Dynamic Commercial Collections
Send us whatever you have, even if it doesn’t seem like much. We’ll review it, tell you whether the matter is viable, and explain what a skip trace would involve before you commit. If the trace is successful, we can carry the file through to field services, service of documents, collection and enforcement.
To discuss a skip trace, call us on 1300 375 067 or book a free consultation.