Have you been named the executor of an estate? Do you need to identify living heirs to an estate? We can help.
If you have been named executor of an estate, we will work with you to identify each living relative and to locate the potential heirs for your case. While we do not provide legal advice regarding who should inherit an estate, once we have completed our report, we are able to state with confidence who the closest living relatives are.
When a family member dies intestate (e.g. dies without leaving a will) it is important to bring in a heir researcher to quickly to ensure that intestate succession is followed and the estate goes to the legitimate heirs rather than being lost to the state.
Legal Aspects of Heir and Estate Research
Our team of genealogists and researchers have the record access and necessary skills to build the family tree of a deceased relative and then trace the living descendants who may ultimately inherit from an estate. This forensic probate research often requires knowledge of late 1800s and early 1900s record sources for various parts of the United States (USA) and other countries, as well as “people finding” skills to find and locate potential heirs.
If findings are intended for use in a legal setting, an Affidavit of Diligent Search for Kinship is often required. While we do not provide this document at Legacy Tree, we can refer you to our partner network of probate genealogists who can assist you with the project from beginning to end.
Narrative Report of Kinship
In some cases, you may only require a Narrative Report of Kinship. This is similar to an Affidavit of Diligent Search for Kinship, but is not notarized, and is not considered sworn testimony for legal proceedings. This type of report is commonly requested by real estate investors who want to know if a property owner is deceased, and if so, identify potential heirs of the estate.
How Legacy Tree Can Help
As professional genealogists and researchers, we are experienced in finding people and helping to accurately identify living heirs. While we are not able to provide you with legal documentation to use in court, we can help to verify and validate family tree information and help to increase the speed in finding all living heirs to an estate when time is of the essence. Complete our contact form for a quote.