Am I An Heir?

We hope you are, mainly because that means we’ve done our research right. However, inheritance law differs in many jurisdictions and sometimes an unknown Will  can turn up. So we always do more due diligence even after we find potential heirs.

 

English Law allows inheritance in intestacies only as far as first cousins, or descendants of first cousins and if you look at The Genealogical Chart below you will know exactly what we mean.

 

Although ‘first cousins’ are the limit in England & Wales, that doesn’t hold true for other countries like Scotland and some American states, where the heir can be a second cousin, or someone even more remote.

Genealogical Chart

Why Have We Contacted You?

Celtic Research finds missing heirs and helps distribute the unclaimed assets of a deceased person to their rightful next-of-kin. This is the reason why someone in our Team has contacted you; because our research indicates that you, or someone in your family, may have an interest in an inheritance.

 

In most cases, the heirs of an estate are known relatives, such as spouses, children, or beneficiaries named in a Will. Unfortunately, sometimes the heirs named in a Will can’t be found, or the deceased never wrote a Will and has died without leaving any known relatives. If no heirs are located, the assets are seized by the government.

 

What To Expect

We will often confirm specific details about what we know about your family, or ask information from you to help us make further enquiries and complete our investigation. If you’re curious, you can watch some Video Clips of us at work.

 

As our progress continues, we will ask each individual heir to enter into an agreement and we will begin documenting your claim to the estate. If you wish, we can also provide you a FREE copy of the family tree once our research is complete.

 

Once we have received your contract, we submit your claim to the solicitors or trustees handling the estate. It is our responsibility to provide all the necessary documents to establish your claim.

 

When your claim is accepted, and the administration is complete, the money will be distributed amongst the heirs. At the end of this process, we are compensated for our efforts. We do not get paid until you get your inheritance.

 

Here is a diagram of the process:

Please go to our Fees section to find additional information, or if you have any other questions you can go to our Glossary & Frequently Asked Questions, or Contact Us.