Author Archive
Unclaimed Estates
If someone dies without leaving a will they are regarded as having died intestate. The following family members are entitled to make a claim to the estate in the order below: husband, wife or civil partner children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and so on mother or father brothers or sisters who share both the same mother and […]
New Year’s Resolution – 2018
Georgina Lawton is a family columnist in the Guardian newspaper and a freelance journalist. Her New Year’s Resolution for 2018 is to trace her family and identify her origins. She explains that there has been a family secret kept from her for more than 20 years and she is going to uncover everything that she can. […]
Unclaimed Assets – USA
There are billions of unclaimed dollars in the United States of America and some of the cash could be yours! In the USA unclaimed assets are held by individual states however you can conduct a free multi-state search using the NAUPA Missing Money search engine. NAUPA also have an interactive map where you can search state-by-state. […]
Unclaimed Assets – Australia
There is around $1 billion worth of unclaimed financial assets lying in Australia and some of the cash could be yours! Unclaimed money from lost bank accounts, shares, investments and life insurance policies are deposited with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). The Commission are Australia’s financial services regulator and they hold the unclaimed assets […]
Free Wills Month 2017
‘Free Wills Month’ is an initiative that brings together a number of well-respected charities and local solicitors who offer members of the public aged 55 and over the opportunity to have their simple Wills written or updated free of charge. The organisation is currently looking for new solicitors to get involved with this year’s campaign […]
Heir Hunters List
The current series of ‘Heir Hunters’ on BBC TV feature details of persons who have died leaving unclaimed estates. Assets belonging to the deceased person pass to the Treasury if relatives of the deceased are not traced and the Treasury takes in millions of pounds each year from unclaimed estates….. Some of the cash could […]
Long Lost Family
Tomorrow evening Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell team up to present Long Lost Family, the documentary series which aims to reunite family members after years of separation. In the past the show has offered a lifeline for people who are desperate to find long-lost relatives. The new series starts on ITV at 9pm on Wednesday […]
PPR Conference 2017
PPR relates to the Professional Paralegal Register which is a voluntary registered scheme to promote professional paralegals as a recognised fourth arm of the legal profession. Their conference on 22nd June attracted our founder who is a member of the Institute of Paralegals together with other prominent Heir Hunters. Representatives of the Association of Probate Researchers and The International […]
Statutory Wills
A statutory will is a way of making a will for somebody if they lack the mental capacity to make their own will. Applications need to be approved by the Court of Protection but once approved they have the same effect as if that person had capacity and had made their own will. The Court […]
Long Term Empty Homes
Long term empty homes can cause problems for local authorities in that they can affect the appearance of a neighbourhood however it is the people living nearby that have to suffer the consequences when an empty home becomes derelict or is vandalised. Empty properties are seen as a wasted resource and returning them back into […]