Recent Blog Posts
Tips for Hiring a Forensic Genealogist
If you are trying to administer an estate and you cannot find the proper heirs, you should seek assistance from a professional forensic genealogist. A skilled forensic genealogist will utilize genealogical evidence to produce a legal identification of the proper heir to an estate and work to track down that heir in order to… Read More »
What if an Heir to an Estate with a Will Cannot Be Found?
When someone dies, their assets are distributed according to their will or trust. If there is no will, trust, or other estate planning document that dictates property distribution, then the assets will pass by way of “intestate succession.” Property will go to the nearest living relative (e.g., a spouse), then the next level of… Read More »
What Happens to an Unclaimed Inheritance?
When a person dies without a will, it is known as dying “intestate.” Each state has specific laws concerning what happens to a person’s assets when they die intestate. There are some general guidelines, however. Read on to learn what happens to assets when a person dies intestate or when no proper heir can… Read More »
How to Find the Value of an Unclaimed Estate
Unclaimed estates present attractive business opportunities for “heir hunters,” people who track down purported heirs to an estate and charge a significant portion of the inheritance for their services. Heir hunters jealously guard the true value of an unclaimed estate, assuming they even know, in order to obscure their ultimate fee. If you are… Read More »
Von Langen Finds Heir and Refutes False Claim Filed by Heir Hunters
We have discussed scam heir hunters before. Specifically, several heir hunter companies were recently convicted by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for violating federal anti-competition law. However, they are still plying their trade. The forensic genealogy team at Von Langen recently completed another assignment where we thwarted those heir hunters, Kemp & Associates,… Read More »
How to Fill Out an Affidavit of Heirship
An Affidavit of Heirship is an affidavit outlining the family history of a deceased person and the identity of any known heirs. The affidavit is then filed in the public records where the decedent’s real property is located. It can serve as a useful tool to aid in the search for legitimate heirs of… Read More »
Questions to Ask an Heir Hunter
Unscrupulous heir hunters try to usurp the role of estate administrators and legitimate forensic genealogists by combing death notices and obituaries, tracking down unaware heirs, and then charging them exorbitant fees for connecting them with the inheritance they are rightfully owed under the law. If you or your clients are approached by an heir… Read More »
The Dangers of Heir Hunters
Heir hunters are individuals or companies that monitor probate filings to identify intestate decedents who have missing or unknown relatives. The heir hunters then target those successors, promising to inform them of their legal rights in exchange for a share of their inheritance. The fees they charge are often exorbitant, and the heir finder… Read More »
When Should Your Client Get Out of a Contingency Fee Heir Finder Contract
Heir hunters are unscrupulous heir finders that take advantage of vulnerable or unwary heirs who are oblivious to their legal rights. If a person agrees to a contingency fee contract with an heir finder and then realizes that they are heir hunters whose fee is simply unreasonable, what are their options? Are they bound… Read More »
Heir Location Service Provider Sentenced, Fined Over $1.5 Million
Last July, we wrote about several heir hunting companies that were under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for conspiring to violate federal anti-competition law. The defendants were recently sentenced after being convicted of their federal crimes. Continue reading below for details on their actions and the sentence imposed by the court…. Read More »