To pick the best heir search company, consider their reputation, experience, and professional network, ensuring they specialize in estate settlement and genealogical research with a high success rate. Evaluate their fee structure, documentation quality, customer service, global reach, and adherence to ethical practices.
How much do you really know about your family history?
Thanks to the emergence of forensic genealogy and dedicated heir search services, more and more people are discovering…
There may be someone out there with an unclaimed estate that you’re entitled to.
Locating heirs isn’t easy. That means you need to work with the very best.
So here they are.
1. Heir Pros
Record Click is our #1 recommendation for heir searches.
The accredited genealogist team has a wealth of resources at its disposal and an outstanding professional network. This includes probate attorneys, trust officers, private investigators, trustees, executors, and more.
Its dedicated team specializes in estate settlement and genealogical research. It has an outstanding success rate of 98%. It offers a worldwide service and its fees for finding missing heirs and beneficiaries are flat – not percentage-based.
It also offers documented, court-ready reports – this is an heir finder that offers results without the fuss.
In short – Record Click ticks all our boxes. It’s our top choice for missing heir searches.
Book a free consultation to find out why.
Pros
- Forensic genealogist team
- Non-percentage-based fees
- Superb 98% success rate
- Worldwide search
- Expert estate attorney services
- Reputable company
Cons
- None!
2. Record Click
Record Click is also a very highly recommended heir search company.
The accredited genealogist team at Record Click boasts a wealth of resources and an extensive professional network, including probate attorneys, trust officers, private investigators, trustees, executors, and more.
Specializing in estate settlement and genealogical research, they have an impressive success rate of 98%. They provide worldwide services, and their fees for finding missing heirs and beneficiaries are flat-rate rather than percentage-based.
Additionally, Record Click delivers documented, court-ready reports, offering results without the fuss. In short, Record Click ticks all our boxes, making it our top choice for missing heir searches.
Book a free consultation.
Pros
- Forensic genealogist team
- Non-percentage-based fees
- Superb 98% success rate
- Worldwide search
- Expert estate attorney services
- Reputable company
Cons
- None!
3. American Global Heir Search
AGHS is a big name in the quest to find missing heirs. There’s a good reason for that.
Its reach is almost unparalleled – its parent company is German and has an extensive network to help locate missing heirs in Europe.
If your family tree goes blank when it reaches the Old Country, AGHS’ heir search and probate research capabilities have a great track record of establishing property ownership and recovering unclaimed funds for rightful heirs.
Overall – fantastic heir research skills combined with a huge network and reasonable fees is a solid combination.
Pros
- Global services to find even the most distant relative
- Professional genealogist team with years of expertise
- Strong due diligence
- Affordable fees for clients
Cons
- Working with foreign law firms for heir tracing can take a while
4. American Research Bureau
The American Research Bureau (ARB) has been helping to locate heirs since 1935.
These are well-established heir finders with a strong reputation. The Bureau conducts thorough due diligence in its quest to find missing heirs through a combination of forensic genealogy, scanning public records across the world, and finally providing documentary evidence for estate settlement.
The catch is that its heir hunter services are paid for using a percentage of the findings. While the absence of an up-front fee for living heirs seems attractive, it could cost missing beneficiaries more than they expect.
Pros
- Large, well-established network to find heirs
- Expert genealogical research
- No initial charge for search services
Cons
- Percentage-based fees
- Can take a long time
5. Finders International
Finders International is a UK-based missing heir search firm. It specializes in proving heirship and uniting heirs and beneficiaries with their inheritance in the UK and worldwide.
Its search services are very trustworthy and it has a plethora of options for finding lost family members and estates. These are well worth looking into, although choosing a suitable fee structure may be somewhat confusing initially.
It has strong research capabilities and excellent customer service. An all-around solid choice.
Pros
- Great track record of tracing known and unknown heirs
- Affordable fees
- Legal fees waived for some small inheritance claims
- Great customer care
Cons
- Fee structure may be unclear
- Not the best for US clients
6. HeirSearch
HeirSearch is among the most popular search services, and with good reason. It’s been around since 1967 and has delivered consistently strong results.
It doesn’t charge fees based on percentages, which is a big plus. As one of the larger businesses in heir research, it can feel slightly less personal, but receives generally favorable reviews.
Pros
- Strong track record of success
- Well-established company
- No percentage fees
Cons
- More expensive than some alternatives
7. Title Research
Title Research is a UK-based company offering a range of services including finding heirs, investigating your family tree, and repatriating assets.
Its fees are flat rather than based on percentages – we love to see it.
It’s a very professional service, with superb customer support and plenty of free, supporting information if you’re interested. The one factor against Title Research is that it has such a wide offering – this isn’t a bad thing, but some customers prefer to work with companies that make heir hunting their primary focus.
Pros
- Wide range of services
- Flat fees
- Great customer support
Cons
- Not as specialized in heir seeking as some
Locating Missing Heirs: How to Choose the Best Heir Search Firms
The best heir search companies typically have a few features in common. These were the criteria we used when assembling this list.
Transparent, Non-Percentage-Based Fees
Imagine finding out you stand to inherit $100,000.
That’s mind-blowing. That’s amazing. That’s… actually only $60,000, because the company you’ve been working with is taking a 40% cut.
Up-front fees can seem steep, but it’s much better to save up in advance than to be disappointed when you get the results.
Working with a Certified Genealogist
This is a must-have feature. The best companies are formed by close-knit teams of certified genealogists who work with other professionals to find every missing piece and ensure you get the results you’re looking for.
High Success Rate
A proven track record matters.
HeirPros.com and Record Click, our #1 recommendation for heir search firms, has a stunning 98% success rate. Combine that with non-percentage fees and you’re looking at consistently satisfying results for its customers.
Global Search for Known and Unknown Heirs
If the search is limited to the US, you’ll run into obstacles pretty quickly.
Many family connections are lost due to part of the family moving overseas. A worldwide search offers far more opportunities than a domestic service.
The Takeaway
There’s no arguing with success. That’s why we consider Record Click the best company for finding missing heirs.
A 98% success rate, flat fees, a professional team, and superb customer support – we can’t ask for much more.