Recent Blog Posts
What Do I Need to Know If I’m Contacted by an Heir Hunter?
When a person dies, the administrator of the estate will contact heirs so they can receive their proper inheritance. Depending upon how the will is written, or whether there is a will at all, the estate administrator may need help locating all the heirs and may employ the skills of a professional forensic genealogist… Read More »
‘Tis the Season to Learn of Missing Heirs
Estate administrators and probate attorneys are often presented with puzzles to solve. Estates that may have seemed at first to be straightforward can suddenly reveal their complexity, sometimes in surprising ways. One such surprising source that has led many a puzzled attorney to our doorstep? Holiday cards. Below, learn about how this traditional year-end… Read More »
Heir Law Forum Offers Valuable Resource to Estate Administrators, Public Administrators and Other Probate Professionals
The persons charged with administrating an estate or locating other types of beneficiaries are tasked with what can be a thankless job. Members of the public and the legal community expect flawless execution of the task of distributing proceeds to the correct beneficiary, despite the countless challenges standing in the way. Public administrators, conservators,… Read More »
The Perils of Relying on Heir Hunters Again Made Evident Thanks to Complete Genealogical Investigation
Estate administrators assigned to handle intestate estates often have the unenviable job of determining whether a claim of heirship is valid. When the decedent dies without a spouse, children, or family living nearby, there is no easy way to learn more about their life or family relationships. In one such case, an attorney working… Read More »
Beneficiary and Heir Notice Requirements Vary Broadly by State
When working as an estate executor, public administrator, trustee, fiduciary, or personal representative, one of your most important—and sometimes, challenging—tasks is locating and notifying the heirs or beneficiaries of their rights or entitlement to a portion of the proceeds. In some cases, the heirs may be known to you or may be clearly identified… Read More »
Troubling Trend Resulting in Added Work for Estate Administrators
As the experts in forensic genealogy, we’re often contacted when the work of, shall we say, less scrupulous heir hunting companies is being questioned by estate administrators or trustees. Our team at Von Langen LLC has worked hard to build a reputation for providing trustworthy, evidence-based genealogical reports that can be relied on in… Read More »
Heir Location Service Providers Prosecuted by Justice Department
In recent years, several once-prominent heir location services have been the targets of US Department of Justice indictments for running afoul of the law. Recently, the US Department of Justice has succeeded in its pursuit of three heir location service providers who were accused of conspiring to eliminate competition in the market. Learn more… Read More »
Profile Describes Important Relationship of Public Administrators and Heir Locators
It’s one thing to hear a basic description of the role that public administrators play when someone dies without having created a will or where there is no executor. The significance of this job is brought into high relief when looking at it in the context of an individual story. A recent profile published… Read More »
Nevada Law Protects Heirs from Predatory Heir Hunters
If you stand to inherit money from a relative you didn’t know existed, or whom you didn’t realize would leave an estate when they died, you’re left in a vulnerable position. An heir hunter may learn of the existence of an estate and contact the rightful heir(s) about the existence of assets. These heir… Read More »
The Role of Public Administrators, and How a Forensic Genealogist Can Help
Public administrators are government officials who perform an important service by ensuring that a deceased person’s estate is responsibly distributed. The responsibilities of a public administrator can vary from county to county, but most require assiduously cataloguing the property included in an estate, locating all rightful heirs, and ensuring they receive the portion of… Read More »