Solicitors...

If you are a solicitor or trustee charged with the administration of an estate, we know just how frustrating and time consuming it can be when not all of the beneficiaries can be found. Known beneficiaries may have moved on, changed their name, or died. More complications arise in cases of intestacy, where family trees have to be compiled; documentation proving the relationship to the deceased has to be obtained; heirs have to be located.

With over twenty years experience in the field of probate genealogy, we can offer a cost effective solution to these problems, offering two different fee structures to best suit your requirements.

Contingency

Research is undertaken at no risk to the estate, your clients or those beneficiaries already known to you. We cover the cost of all research, certificates and other necessary expenses, providing you with a comprehensive family tree demonstrating entitlement. The beneficiaries that we locate enter into an agreement with us directly – our fee is a percentage of their share of the estate. In the small number of cases where heirs are unable to be traced, we receive no fee and there is no liability on the estate.

Fee and Disbursement

This is charged at our standard hourly rate plus VAT and the cost of any certificates or documents needed throughout the course of our research. It is impossible in the early stages to say exactly how much research is required on any given estate – it depends on the number of stems and beneficiaries, how much family information we already have to go on, or if family members marry a very common name or relocate overseas. For this reason, many of our clients are more comfortable if we start work within a fixed budget, reporting on our progress when the initial limit is reached. At that point it should be easier to give a more accurate indication of the potential costs involved.

We are also able to provide full and thorough genealogical reports for missing person indemnity insurance policies when required.

Testimonials...