Legacy Tree

Professional genealogists and family history researchers for hire

Contact Us
x
  • Home
  • Services
  • Highlights
  • About Us
  • Press
  • Blog
  • English
    • Spanish
    • Portuguese (Brazil)
    • Swedish
    • Danish
    • Norwegian Bokmål
    • Russian
Contact Us
Contact Us
x
  • Home
  • Services
  • Highlights
  • About Us
  • Press
  • Blog
  • English
    • Spanish
    • Portuguese (Brazil)
    • Swedish
    • Danish
    • Norwegian Bokmål
    • Russian
Contact Us
  • Services
  • Highlights
  • About
  • Press
  • Blog
  • .
  • English
    • Spanish
    • Portuguese (Brazil)
    • Swedish
    • Danish
    • Norwegian Bokmål
    • Russian

When a Valid Will is Not Enough: Locating Heirs at Law

November 11, 2021 by Jacqueline - Legacy Tree Genealogists Forensic Researcher Leave a Comment

Last Will

Legacy Tree Genealogists has served families with professional, traditional research and reporting for more than 18 years. But we also provide forensic probate research for legal professionals and estate administrators. And over the years, our probate department has developed an excellent reputation for successfully identifying and locating heirs for estates around the world. We typically locate heirs in accordance with a will, but in some states, a will alone is not enough to satisfy legal … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Genealogy Records and Resources, Probate

Probate Courts are Beginning to Reopen…Let’s Get Ready to Notify! 

September 11, 2020 by Jacqueline - Legacy Tree Genealogists Forensic Researcher Leave a Comment

Are you a probate attorney, paralegal, estate administrator, fiduciary, or investor? Probate courts are beginning to open. Be prepared and beat the rush! Our team of forensic genealogists’ shares tips to ensure you’re ready to notify. As probate courts begin to reopen, the courts will be inundated with new cases. It will be more important than ever to be ready and to achieve as much progress as possible in each hearing and avoid unnecessary continuances. Each state has very specific laws … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Probate Tagged With: beneficiaries, estate administrator, estate. intestate, fiduciary, forensic genealogist, heir, notify, probate, probate attorney, probate genealogist, probate research, research, succession

Forensic and Probate Research Frequently Asked Questions

April 17, 2020 by Legacy Tree Genealogists Leave a Comment

Legacy Tree Genealogists has a dedicated probate research division, and has been servicing the forensic needs of attorneys, paralegals, estate administrators, fiduciaries and investors since 2004. Check out our forensic and probate research FAQ. What is forensic genealogy? Forensic genealogy is genealogical research in relation to legal matters. This most often involves genealogical research to define the identities and locate contact information for potential heirs based on descendancy. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Probate Tagged With: forensic, forensic genealogists, forensic genealogy, probate, probate genealogist, probate research, probate researcher

The Lure of the Land: 4 Types of Land Records That Can Help Solve Genealogy Brick Walls

October 16, 2019 by Legacy Tree Genealogists 5 Comments

land record

Land records are some of the most underutilized, yet most useful, records available in genealogy. Often, they are the only records which state a direct relationship between family members. They can also be used to prove relationships indirectly by studying the land laws in force at the time. Sometimes they can even be used to locate an ancestor’s farm or original house, so that we can walk today where our family walked long ago. Land records exist in the United States in abundance for most … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Deeds, Land Records, Probate

“Was My Ancestor an Orphan?” Understanding Guardianship in Genealogy

May 17, 2019 by Debra - Legacy Tree Genealogists Genetic Researcher 6 Comments

Who is considered an orphan? Someone with no living parents? Not until the late 1800s. In this article we'll explain what guardianship really means. Genealogists may encounter references to orphans in guardianship or probate records. However, researchers shouldn’t assume both parents were deceased. Those who had lost only one parent, especially a father, were termed “social orphans.” In colonial times, children were considered assets in which their fathers had property rights. Widows could even … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Probate, United States

Why Do I Need a Forensic Genealogist?

October 26, 2018 by Legacy Tree Genealogists Leave a Comment

forensic genealogy research

This guide explains the ins and outs of forensic genealogy research - also commonly referred to as probate, heir or estate research, and how a forensic genealogist can help you. What is probate research? In its simplest form, probate is the process, overseen by a court, whereby a deceased person’s assets are distributed to their heirs and creditors. However, probate is not always simple! Each state has a court that handles probate and the process varies by state. In New York, the probate … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Probate

How Can Investors Benefit from Probate Researchers?

February 21, 2018 by Jacqueline - Legacy Tree Genealogists Forensic Researcher Leave a Comment

probate researchers

How can investors benefit from the services of probate researchers? What can a probate researcher do and not do? Find out!  A Seemingly Odd Pair, or a Power Couple? “An investor is a person that allocates capital with the expectation of a future financial return.”[1] “Forensic genealogy is genealogical research, analysis, and reporting in cases with legal implications, often involving living individuals.”[2] Together, the pair work to achieve market dominance. “Market dominance is a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Probate

We Have Your Back! 5 Ways Attorneys Benefit from Probate Research Services

May 28, 2017 by Jacqueline - Legacy Tree Genealogists Forensic Researcher Leave a Comment

probate research services

Are you a probate attorney, paralegal, estate administrator, fiduciary or investor? We share 5 ways you can benefit from probate research services.  Probate research – also commonly referred to as forensic genealogy, heir or estate research is genealogical research conducted to assist in legal matters. An experienced probate researcher can prove invaluable in the probate process. In this article, we share the top 5 ways probate researchers can address common pain points attorneys face, and how … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Probate

Intestate Succession – 50 Laws for 50 States

October 18, 2016 by Legacy Tree Genealogists Leave a Comment

intestate succession by state

What are the rules? Who gets what? Each state maintains its own laws as to which family members will receive an inheritance from a person who has died “intestate.”  What does it mean to have "died intestate"? The person who has died is called “the decedent.” To have “died intestate” means the decedent died without a valid will in place. The decedent’s assets belong to their “estate” until the probate process is complete. Who gets what when there is no will? The assets of intestate estates … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Probate

More Than Just Wills: The Parts of Probate

June 17, 2016 by Legacy Tree Genealogists 7 Comments

No genealogical research in America prior to the 20th century is complete without a search for probate records. Most of us are at least a little familiar with these sorts of documents, although perhaps only through words and documents which affect us even in the 21st century such as “wills” and “estates.” In short, probate is the broad term for the process by which a deceased individual’s worldly possessions are legally divided and debts are paid upon his or her death. How this has functioned … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Court Records, Methodology, Probate

  • 1
  • 2
  • Next Page »
  • Home
  • Services
  • Highlights
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Careers
[wpca_btn_reset_consent txt="Reset your consent" txt_resetting="Resetting now.."] Terms of Use Privacy Policy

© 2004 - 2021 Legacy Tree Genealogists. All rights reserved.

  • Services
  • Highlights
  • About
  • Press
  • Blog
  • .
  • English
    • Spanish
    • Portuguese (Brazil)
    • Swedish
    • Danish
    • Norwegian Bokmål
    • Russian