When the Paper Trail Goes Cold

These days, it’s easy to assume that everything we need can be found online. Yet, when it comes to verifying entitlement in estates, trusts, and asset recovery cases, nothing replaces the value of original documentation. Birth, marriage, and death certificates (the tangible paper proof of identity and relationship) remain the cornerstone of legal and financial processes.

At Finders International Ireland, our Missing Document Service helps legal professionals, local authorities, and individuals access and replace essential records when they’ve gone missing, are incomplete, or are difficult to trace.

The Challenge: When Records Go Missing

It’s not uncommon for critical documents to be lost over time. Moves between countries, family separations, name changes, and the simple passage of decades can all contribute to gaps in the paper trail. Without official records, proving entitlement to an estate, pension, or insurance benefit can quickly stall.

Our team frequently encounters cases where heirs are identified, but their claim cannot progress until an original birth or death certificate is located. In cross-border estates, the challenge grows – navigating multiple jurisdictions, different registry systems, and varying standards for document certification.

Our Solution: Reuniting Families with Their Records

Finders International’s Missing Document Service is designed to resolve these issues efficiently and accurately. We work with official record offices and archives in Ireland, the UK, and worldwide to obtain replacement documents and certified copies.

Our expertise includes:

• Locating and ordering missing birth, marriage, or death certificates across multiple jurisdictions.
• Verifying authenticity to ensure records are accepted by solicitors, trustees, and courts.
• Providing certified translations where necessary.
• Supporting international estate cases where records are held overseas.

With decades of experience in probate genealogy, we understand how critical these documents are for confirming identity, relationship, and legal right to inherit.

Why Original Documentation Still Matters

While digital archives are improving access to information, most legal processes still require original or certified documents. These official papers serve as irrefutable evidence of life events and family connections. In estate administration, a missing certificate can mean the difference between a straightforward claim and months of delay.

At Finders, we bridge that gap – ensuring the right records are sourced, verified, and delivered quickly so that cases can move forward with confidence.

Supporting Legal and Financial Professionals

Our Missing Document Service is available as part of our wider support for solicitors, executors, and trust administrators. Whether you’re dealing with a single missing document or multiple international records, our team can help ensure every case has the verified documentation needed for completion.

To learn more about our Missing Document Service, visit our website or contact our Dublin office for support with tracing and document retrieval.