The length and thoroughness of any investigation will vary considerably depending on the facts, the agency, and the investigator. Some investigations can last months or even years. It's important to know the time limits for filing a lawsuit and whether they continue to run while the agency is investigating your claim, as in Fair Labor Standards Act cases. In most cases, the federal agency will not issue a finding (often called a "reasonable cause" finding) that a law has been violated. Similarly, federal agencies file lawsuits in only a small portion of the complaints they receive. This does not mean, however, that your lawsuit does not have merit, as many successful lawsuits have been brought without a "reasonable cause" finding by the government and/or without the administrative agency's assistance.