The article deals with the problem of correlation between the categories of the criminalistic characteristics of a crime, the circumstances to be established, and investigative situations in the system of private forensic techniques, the concept, essence, structure and meaning of this category in the forensic science are analyzed. On the basis of scientific knowledge about the subject of forensic science, the author formulated his position of substantiation and assignment of the forensic characteristics of the crime and the circumstances to be established and the investigative situations, their role in the development of private forensic techniques.