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Hunting heirs

13 October 2011 / Daniel Curran
Issue: 7485 / Categories: Features , Wills & Probate , Family , Insurance / reinsurance
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Daniel Curran explains how to recognise a professional probate genealogist & why you need one

In recent years there has been an explosion of interest in family history in the UK. Television shows like the BBC’s Who Do You Think You Are? or ITV’s Family Reunion, have inspired amateur genealogists, assisted by a range of websites dedicated to the creation of family trees encouraging us to find our roots.

The legal sphere has correspondingly seen growth in the number of small firms offering probate genealogy or “heir hunter” services. While these can prove a tempting offering to solicitors––there is a strong case for bringing in the professionals when an estate is at stake.

Compliance & managing risk

Risk management has never been more important, as illustrated by a recent case where the solicitors were in touch with the deceased’s sister, who swore that the deceased’s other sibling died without issue. In this case, the solicitors found that the deceased’s pre-deceased sibling had a son disowned when it became apparent he had serious

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Muckle LLP—Rachael Chapman

Muckle LLP—Rachael Chapman

Sports, education and charities practice welcomes senior associate

Ellisons—Carla Jones

Ellisons—Carla Jones

Partner and head of commercial litigation joins in Chelmsford

Freeths—Louise Mahon

Freeths—Louise Mahon

Firm strengthens Glasgow corporate practice with partner hire

NEWS
One in five in-house lawyers suffer ‘high’ or ‘severe’ work-related stress, according to a report by global legal body, the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC)
The Legal Ombudsman’s (LeO’s) plea for a budget increase has been rejected by the Law Society and accepted only ‘with reluctance’ by conveyancers
Overcrowded prisons, mental health hospitals and immigration centres are failing to meet international and domestic human rights standards, the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) has warned
Two speedier and more streamlined qualification routes have been launched for probate and conveyancing professionals
Workplace stress was a contributing factor in almost one in eight cases before the employment tribunal last year, indicating its endemic grip on the UK workplace
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