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Probate, Estate, and Heirship Research
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Legacy Tree Genealogy can provide assistance with heirship research. We have experience working with Public Administrators, court-appointed administrators, individual executors, and even geneticists in their quest to account for heirs of common ancestors.
Unlike probate companies, we do not work on a commission that takes large percentages of the estate. Each hour is billed and appropriately accounted for as we strive to productively accomplish the work as quickly and professionally as possible. We provide copies of all documents used to assemble the relationships presented, which are accompanied by scholarly citations for easy reference.
In many ways, the processes and charges are the same as general genealogical work. There are some aspects, however, that are unique to heirship research. Please consider the following:
Is the work time-sensitive? If the work is urgent, rush rates may apply. We will do our best to accommodate court dates, but records are not always immediately available or must be ordered from other repositories or government agencies. We will keep you informed so that you can make adjustments as necessary.
Payment is required in advance for a minimum of ten hour blocks of time. If success is reached within a given block, the balance will be refunded upon conclusion of the project. Purchase orders/cost proposals are provided on request to present to courts for release of funds to facilitate advance payments. Please anticipate if this process of obtaining a release of funds is difficult, and request a purchase order for larger amounts of time if necessary to prevent lag time in the event of continuing research beyond the initial ten hours. Legacy Tree representatives can help you project potential costs and help avoid repetitive legal processes.
You will be asked to clearly indicate whether Legacy Tree Genealogy can contact living descendants to help expedite the compilation of additional relatives, and whether the purpose for contact can be disclosed or not. By default, all client objectives and any research performed on their behalf remains confidential. However, since the very nature of heirship research is to uncover and collaborate living relatives, effective communication can save countless hours and reduce financial requirements considerably. Research will not proceed without this issue being explicitly addressed.
In addition to the hourly rates for research services, Consent for Extemporaneous Fees will be required, allowing Legacy Tree Genealogy to bill for outside services such as death certificates, marriage records, obituary notices/local newspaper searches, background checks (on relatives discovered, for potential relationships to other individuals), database fees, postage, and other incidentals that may occur. This consent form includes a maximum allotment of $200.00 without further client permission.
Each heirship project is presented to the client differently, tailoring itself to the unique environment surrounding that particular project. There is minimal narrative or historical content provided, except as needed for explanation of evidence. Rather, a concise display of information is shown in a way that readily explains the relationships and data of each individual, with endnote citations for virtually every piece of data. Unlike regular genealogical projects, personal web page development is not included in heirship packages, and the information is not bound to allow rearrangement for court purposes or insertion of additional data. Payment of all outstanding extemporaneous fees must be completed before the results can be presented. Materials will then be presented in electronic PDF format, as well as the mailing of hard copies of the documents.
The challenges of post-1930 research are very different from that of the preceding centuries. While there is generally more information left behind, there are also greater obstacles and increased mobility that can make such research more challenging. If you need heirship research performed, please contact a Legacy Tree Genealogy representative today. We can help evaluate your specific circumstances and identify ways that we can be of assistance in your quest.
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