The Intestacy Jigsaw

The distribution of an estate as specified by a will is often a challenging matter with extensive legal documentation becoming the bugbear of law firms instructed to carry out the wishes of the Deceased. The process of drawing up a will is a detailed task designed to protect the individual by ensuring named beneficiaries receive their rightful inheritance.

The practicalities of producing a truly comprehensive document including up to date contact addresses of beneficiaries, are such that many wills require thorough investigative research before an estate can be bequeathed as intended.

Two thirds of the people who die in England and Wales each year do so intestate, and in cases of intestacy, the task of distributing an estate can become a particularly difficult affair, especially if there is no known next of kin. Probate genealogy is a specialised service that aims to identify missing heirs and beneficiaries using trusted research techniques to trace individuals entitled to a share of an estate.

In the absence of a will, the rules of intestacy mean that there is an order for who inherits the estate.

When tracing unknown heirs, probate genealogists use a full range of resources that encompasses a world beyond the more obvious reference sources such as public records and national archives to ensure the highest quality service to their clients. Though restricted by law as to the information that can be accessed, Finders International probate genealogists have rightfully earned the respect of the profession thanks to their incomparable success rate.

At Finders International we offer probate genealogy research that sees excellence as standard, providing a fresh dynamic to finding heirs and tracing unknown beneficiaries. With research completed to suit client timescales, worldwide beneficiary searches, a missing will search service and easy to understand documentation, Finders has established a success rate that puts them at the forefront of global probate genealogists.