Probate genealogy is the research involved in identifying and locating the next-of-kin to a deceased person.
We are a firm of probate genealogists who specialise in tracing beneficiaries, especially to unclaimed estates where the deceased left no will.
Our investigations suggest that you or someone you know may be a beneficiary to an unclaimed estate.
When a person dies without making a will, their estate become ‘intestate’, meaning there is no instruction as to what to do with them.
Often the services of a firm of genealogists are not required because the next-of-kin is known. However there are occasions where next-of-kin need to be identified and located.
With no known next of kin there is no one to instruct solicitors to wind up the estate, funds cannot be made available to locate any beneficiaries. Kin Probate attempt to locate heirs at our own expense/ risk.
Sometimes our research finds no next-of-kin and the expenses we incur can never be recovered. If there are no next-of-kin or no attempt is made to trace any next-of-kin then the estate passes to the Crown.
We work on a commission basis.
Our fee is calculated as a percentage of your net entitlement. It is deducted at source by the administrating solicitors and sent to us at the same time as the estate is distributed to the beneficiaries.
There are no hidden charges. If the located heirs receive nothing then Kin Probate receive nothing.
Absolutely! When our final report is submitted to the solicitor we can provide you with a copy, free of charge.
When we make contact with you, it is usually as a result of a methodical research project into the family history of the deceased.
We use a wide range of public resources and historical records, online technology and our own in-house databases, which are regularly updated. We also utilise a worldwide network of trusted agents, when our research takes us overseas.
If you are indeed a beneficiary, we make sure you are happy with our terms of business and will ask you to sign a commission agreement.
Once all our research has been completed we provide the administrating solicitors with a comprehensive report detailing and evincing your claim so you can secure your entitlement.
The report will contain details of the family history as well as a complete family tree, enabling the solicitor to calculate each beneficiary’s share of the estate. In due course the solicitors handling the administration will send you your cheque.
The probate process can take some time to complete with timeframes of 18-24 months not unusual.
Please feel free to contact us at any stage.