Finders, the international professional probate genealogists (otherwise known as ‘heir hunters’), are committed to helping solicitors and administrators with the costs of finding lost beneficiaries. Administrators, or the solicitors acting for the administrator of an estate, have a duty to all the heirs of that estate from the outset, even if they are missing or unknown.
Heir hunters, Finders, offer a variety of options that can be employed to manage the cost of tracing lost relatives. One option is to arrange a deferred fee with the genealogist which the solicitor can extract from the grant of representation to pay. This won’t suit all situations though as the heirs will have no chance to agree a fee which will directly affect the amount they receive without their knowledge of prior consent. Heir hunters, Finders, understand the difficulties and will provide a range of fee options wherever legally possible.
Commission is an option that can be offered to solicitors in a case with no grant or funds available. Finders, the professional heir hunters, will agree to work at their own risk and expense for a commission fee agreed in advance or up to a pre-arranged limit. This option works where the share due to an heir is as low as £2000 or an estate is valued at £8,000 or over. This option can carry less risk than others for the estates beneficiaries, although it is not always the most cost-effective or appropriate method of managing costs.
Commenting, Daniel Curran, Managing Director of Finders, said:
“Any solicitor or administrator working with professional probate genealogists or ‘heir hunters’ should have a choice of fee options that are most appropriate to the problem in question or the legal status of the estate. It is important to bear in mind that there is no “one size fits all” solution, and fairness, flexibility and professionalism all have a part to play.”
“Probate genealogists or ‘heir hunters’, like Finders, are experts in finding solutions to complex issues surrounding wills and succession. When a missing heir needs to be found or unknown next of kin need to be traced on intestacy, the probate practitioner will, of course, need to be sure that the genealogist’s proposed solution is fair and ethical, as well as cost effective.
To find out more about Finders please visit the Finders website at www.findersuk.com or www.heirhuntersuk.co.uk. Please direct any queries to Elora Feiner on 020 7067 0257 or efeiner@webershandwick.com
