Suffolk & North Essex Law Society
Probate Genealogy – Specialist Help for Probate Practitioners
Probate Genealogy– also known as ‘Heir Hunting’ - is a crucial part of the legal sector, helping probate professionals with their workload on a daily basis. The core service offerings are locating difficult to find beneficiaries named in wills, and establishing and finding the relevant next of kin in intestacy cases. With recent analysis showing that up to two in three deaths in the UK last year were intestate, the work carried out checking family trees and verifying entitled beneficiaries by probate genealogists can save lawyers and probate professionals a huge amount of time. It also ensures that the estate is distributed accurately too. You might think that in this ever-connected world that we live in, finding beneficiaries would be relatively straightforward, yet this is frequently not the case. On a general level, people forget to update their contact details when they move residence, or can drop off electoral rolls and other government databases. In some instances, individuals simply don’t want to be found easily for whatever reason. Whilst the importance of probate genealogy firms is ever increasing, it surprises many to learn that it is an unregulated industry, with no set entry requirements. Ever since the Heir Hunters TV series sensationalised the sector, there has been a small boom in the number of firms and individuals offering the service – often with little to no experience.
Firms can become corporate members of industry organisations such as the Association of Probate Researchers. Transparency and ethical practice should be key in the probate genealogy industry. Working with a reputable firm with a long-established track record should ensure that future risks are fully mitigated. In addition, it’s not just people tracing where probate genealogists can help; they can also assist with financial asset and global bankruptcy searches, statutory will research, and providing missing beneficiary insurance quotations. So next time you are faced with a not-so-straightforward probate case, don’t be afraid to instruct a reputable probate genealogy firm to carry out the heavy lifting for you. Joe Lander heads up the business development function at Anglia Research, who are based in Museum Street, Ipswich. For further information or advice please contact: legal@angliaresearch.co.uk
Therefore, reputation and professionalism are key, and most firms (though not all) have suitably qualified staff undertaking the research work. Ipswich-based Anglia Research employ more accredited genealogists, legally qualified and independently regulated staff than any other UK probate research company. Anglia Research as a firm is reassuringly experienced. Accreditations can also help indicate if a firm follows industry or best practice recommendations. Both firm and individual accreditations should come from professional bodies, with recognised staff qualifications via exam boards such as CILEx.
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www.snels.org.uk
By Joe Lander
