Looking to complete a Heir Search, Probate Search, or Property Beneficiaries Search, by a professional company with certified genealogist?
We’re a group of professional genealogist who work with lawyers, administrators, executors, trustees, bank and trust officers to complete heir search, probate research, property beneficiaries search, lineages and heir search services.
* Estate and Trust
We leverage our professional expertise to identify, locate, verify, and report known and unknown heirs or beneficiaries, both domestically and internationally.
* Notice
We assist clients in fulfilling their fiduciary responsibilities by providing current contact information, or the results of our due diligence search efforts, to notify heirs about estate or trust matters.
* Property
We identify, locate, verify, and report heirs, successors, assigns, or beneficiaries related to Clear and Quiet Title Actions and Property Ownership. Our services include searches for Land, Oil, Gas, and Mineral Rights Owners; Intellectual Property/Copyright Owners; and Unclaimed Property Holders, Lost Security Holders, and Unresponsive Payees.
The Significance of Locating Missing Beneficiaries
The purpose of missing heirs investigations is to locate missing beneficiaries, individuals who are entitled to an inheritance but may be unaware of their status or cannot be found. This search is crucial for several reasons:
Settling Estates Fairly and Legally: When a person passes away, their estate is distributed according to their will or by law if no will exists. Finding all rightful heirs ensures that the estate is settled fairly and in accordance with the deceased’s wishes, property records, or legal requirements.
Legal Obligation: Executors and administrators have a legal duty to locate all potential heirs to ensure that the estate is not distributed improperly, which could lead to legal challenges and financial penalties.
Preventing Fraud: Heir search firms help prevent fraudulent claims by identifying legitimate heirs, thus protecting the estate from individuals who might falsely claim a right to inherit.
Closing Gaps in Family History: These investigations can also fill in missing pieces of a family’s story, revealing connections and relatives previously unknown, which can be significant for genealogical records.
Peace of Mind for the Deceased’s Family: Knowing that the estate has been distributed correctly provides closure for family members, ensuring that their loved one’s final wishes are honored.
The Role of Professional Investigators
Professional investigators play a critical role in finding unknown heirs, employing a blend of expertise to locate an individual who may be a missing beneficiary unaware of their inheritance rights. Here’s a breakdown of their key responsibilities:
Research and Analysis: A private investigator uses various resources, including public records, genealogy databases, and historical documents, to construct family trees and identify potential missing heirs and beneficiaries. They must analyze the collected data meticulously to ensure accuracy.
Legal Knowledge: Understanding the legal framework surrounding estates and inheritances is crucial. Investigators need to be aware of the laws governing wills, intestacy, and estate distribution to navigate the search effectively.
Interviewing and Field Work: Often, the search for heirs requires more than online research. Investigators conduct interviews and visit locations to gather information, following leads that could reveal an heir’s whereabouts.
Documentation and Verification: Finding an heir is just part of the process. Investigators must both locate missing heirs but also gather sufficient documentation to verify the heir’s identity and legal claim to the inheritance.
Collaboration with Legal Entities: Investigators work closely with lawyers, estate executors, and courts to ensure that all potential heirs and beneficiaries are accounted for and the information provided can stand up to legal scrutiny.
Probate Court Interaction: A crucial point of their role involves presenting their findings to probate courts and helping a probate attorney, ensuring that all legal heirs are considered in the settlement of an estate for a smooth probate process.
Find a Missing Heir with Forensic Genealogy?
We have multiple forensic genealogist on our team that assist our customers and local law enforcement authorities. Forensic genealogy is a study of family history that goes beyond what is provided on records at a firm.
It uses DNA and photos to bring science into the research. But beyond that, it is not an area that some have worked with.
Thus, forensic genealogy rarely plays a role in finding missing heirs’ search requests. 99% of the time, locating missing heirs can be achieved through records found in the United States.
Trust us as your local and international genealogical search service provider, as we have a dedicated team of certified professionals with years of experience available for you.
Our reports can be used in court as they’re recognized as official documents. Plus, if needed, we’re available to appear in court for testimonies.