All Blogs
Explore every article, update, and success story from Fleetwood Heir Hunting.
Can Heir Hunters Find Adopted Relatives?
Finding adopted family members during a probate search is entirely possible, but adoption changes the legal game completely. When someone dies...
Why Do Local Councils Turn to Heir Hunters
Local authorities across the UK are currently facing a massive headache: thousands of empty, decaying properties. When a homeowner dies without a...
What Happens if an Abandoned Property Has No Known Owner?
We’ve all walked past neglected or abandoned houses before. The garden is a jungle, the roof is shoddy, and the curtains have been drawn for years....
How To Report An Empty Property To Your Local Council
An empty home or abandoned building is more than just an eyesore. Over time, these neglected spaces can become magnets for fly-tipping, vandalism,...
How Councils Tackle Abandoned Homes
Every neighbourhood seems to have that one neglected house with the overgrown garden, drawn curtains, and a pile of unopened post visible through...
Should You Trust Ancestry DNA Kits?
DNA home testing kits have been everywhere lately. It seems like everyone is buying them to dig into their family tree, map out their ethnic roots,...
Navigating Estate Administration – Why Administrator Searches Matter
When a person passes away without leaving a clear trail of next of kin, or when the beneficiaries of an estate are scattered or unknown, estate...
Finding a Final Resting Place – Understanding Public Health Funerals
In the world of probate research and heir hunting, we often come across a term that sounds a bit formal and perhaps a little cold: the Public Health...
When Life Doesn’t Go to Plan – A Guide to Statutory Wills
Most of us know the drill with a standard Will: you sit down, decide who gets what, sign it in front of witnesses, and tuck it away for peace of...
The Royal Family Line of Succession
King Charles III became our King in September 2022, after the sad passing of Queen Elizabeth II. Do you know who is next in line for the throne?...
Empty Properties UK Have Been A Bigger Problem Since The 1990s
Although the problem of vacant properties in the UK is not new, it has gained more attention in recent decades. The housing sector has undergone...
The Quiet Secret of Abandoned Mansions in London
London is known for being vibrant, busy and crowded. But did you know that there are potentially thousands of abandoned homes across the city?...
London Empty Properties – 2026 Statistics
According to recent statistics, there are now officially more than 100,000 vacant homes in London. That is roughly the number of people living in a...
When Might a Member of Family Not be an Heir?
You are not always an heir to a relative's estate just because you are connected by blood. Even though this is the norm, several variables can...
Tracking Your Family History in 2026
Family tree tracing can be enjoyable, emotional and potentially life-changing. Finding your ancestors and starting a family tree research project...
How Do I Know if I am a Beneficiary of a Will?
Until a loved one passes away, no one can truly predict what or how much they will leave behind. For a variety of reasons, many families split up,...
Things You Should Know About Heir Hunters
Many people are unsure of the role of a heir hunter, and the profession is often seen as mysterious. The majority of people use the service only...
The Benefits and Drawbacks of Ancestry DNA Testing Kits
As science continues to progress, ancestry DNA testing kits have become increasingly popular as an alternative to the conventional family tree...
What is a Compulsory Purchase Order?
A Compulsory Purchase Order, or CPO, is a legal process that enables specific official bodies, such as councils and government organisations, to...
Empty Dwelling Management Orders – All You Need to Know
There are almost 1 million empty dwellings across the UK. That is a shocking figure that isn’t often discussed. If properties have been left vacant...
Finding Next of Kin – Is It Ever Too Late?
It is a sad fact that many people across the UK will die alone. This may be because they are the last member of their family to pass away, but often...
Eight Common Probate Questions Answered
Whether you're a will executor or interested in how a deceased person's inheritance is managed, you need to understand the UK probate process. This...
Connecting With Birth Relatives After Adoption
For many people who have been adopted, finding birth relatives is not a priority. Plenty of people are happy to live a life with their adoptive...
What is an Abandoned Property?
Occasionally, properties are abandoned, derelict or unregistered. It is possible to claim abandoned land and property, but the procedure is...
Business Owners and Farmers Unite for Inheritance Tax Review
Inheritance tax plans unveiled in the Budget last autumn and expected to take effect in April 2026, would cap Business Property Relief (BPR) and...
Report an Empty House: Why Reporting Empty Council Properties Matters
The most typical situation involving probate homes is that the beneficiaries move into or sell the house while maintaining it in good condition once...
Important Information for Heirs Regarding Probate Property Inheritance
Inheriting a probate property can be hugely beneficial, but it can also be potentially complex, as it comes with legal obligations. It is important...
The Price of Owning Empty Properties in the UK and London
Owning an empty property in the UK can come with various financial repercussions. Unexpected costs might result from leaving a house unoccupied, so...
What Your Surname Says About Your Family History
Have you ever wondered, "What does my surname mean, and where did it come from?" All names evolved from history; they all started somewhere! Perhaps...
Finding Long-Lost Siblings
There are a number of possible reasons why siblings may have lost touch. Many people decide at some point that they wish to make contact with...
DNA Testing To Discover Family Truths
DNA testing and genealogy have advanced significantly over the last few decades, and genetic testing is now widely used to unearth family secrets...
A Day in The Life of a Professional Heir Hunter
Heir hunting is a profession that is often overlooked. To truly understand what it is like to be a professional heir hunter, you would need to delve...
The Difference Between Professional and Hobbyist Genealogists
TV shows like Who Do You Think You Are? and online records have made genealogists more popular in the UK. Many people enjoy researching their...
The Potential Impact of Labour’s Leadership on Inheritance Laws
Labour's recent victory in the UK general election raised important concerns regarding potential policy changes, especially in sectors like...
The Significance of Heir Hunters
Heir hunters look for possible heirs to estates without known or living relatives. They look through historical documents, family trees, and...
The Risks Abandoned Properties Pose to Local Communities
Local communities may face a great deal of issues as a result of abandoned properties. There are many more abandoned properties across the UK than...
The Seven-Year Restriction Law Regarding Inheritance
According to official statistics, an increasing number of families are receiving gifts subject to inheritance tax after breaking the seven-year...
Inheritance Tax – Should the UK Follow Other Countries?
Between April and June 2024, UK inheritance tax receipts reached £2.1 billion, a rise of £83 million over the same period the previous year....
Beyond Family Trees – Revealing Your Ancestors’ Stories
The excitement of following names and dates of ancestors and creating a visual family tree that spans generations is often the starting point of...
The Complexity of UK Heirless Deaths
Although the actual number of people in the UK who pass away without leaving heirs is unknown, data indicates that a significant portion of the...
Finding Missing Heirs and Bringing Families Together
Heir hunting often evokes visions of court cases and distant relatives competing for wealth. But stories of connection, resolution, and...
Heir Hunting Scams: How to Avoid Them
Scams, unfortunately, operate in all sectors, including the heir hunting industry. Many people using an heir hunting service may be vulnerable, so...
The Heir Hunting: Juggling Ethical issues and Family History
The practice of discovering the legitimate beneficiaries of an estate in cases where the dead either passed away without a will or failed to...
Travelling through Genealogy: Following in Your Ancestors’ Footsteps
Discovering the tales of your ancestors through genealogy study transports you through time. But what if you could actually visit the locations they...
Adoption and Ancestry Rights
The country in which the adoption was completed determines the legal rights adopted children have to view their biological family history. Adopted...
Celebrities Who Have Investigated Their Ancestry
Exploring your family tree brings comfort and joy to many. It can help unite families and often uncovers fascinating facts. Many well-known...
Are Ancestry DNA Kits Reliable?
Ancestry DNA kits have become well-liked resources for researching family history and discovering ancestral roots for some time. These easily...
Do You Know The Value of Your Parent’s Home?
Have you researched the value of your parent's home? According to a recent study, 50% of participants said they have, and 2/5 think they would use...
How the Cost of Living Crisis is Affecting Inheritance
The cost of living crisis has hit us all hard, especially following the troubling pandemic years. Rising living costs affect inheritance figures,...
Probate Genealogy – Common Misconceptions
Our lives are unaffected by intestacy and probate laws until someone passes away, which means many people feel out of their depths when trying to...
Why Do People Change Their Name?
People change their name for all sorts of reasons. You have the obvious reasons, such as marriage, divorce and gender transitioning, but there are...
The Effects of Probate Delays on Heir Hunters
The legal procedure that follows a death is called probate. This entails paying off the deceased's outstanding debts and dispersing their assets to...
The Fire that Destroyed the 1931 United Kingdom Census
Fire is destructive, dangerous and life-changing. This was particularly true decades ago before documents were digitally stored. Here we look at the...
Take a Look at The Royal Family Line of Succession
Following King Charles III's recent coronation, the country welcomed our new King and queen. Many people may feel unsure of the line of succession,...
When Will a Family Member Not Be an Heir?
Being related by blood will not automatically guarantee that you are an heir to a relative’s estate. Although this is usually how it works, several...
Top Tips For Tracing Your Family History
Tracing a family tree can be fun, emotional and educational. It is easier than ever before to begin researching your family tree and find out who...
When is a Property Classed as Abandoned?
Almost every property in the UK is owned by someone, whether it be a person, a company, the Government or the Crown. There are occasionally...
How to find unclaimed estates
There are currently* more than 6000 UK unclaimed estates in the UK. Could you be an heir to an unclaimed estate of an estranged relative or perhaps...
Small Estates – Will Heir Hunters Still Help?
Everyone’s situation is different, and while some people have large, complex estates, others may have small estates or hardly anything at all. A...
Heir Hunters – Three Things You Need to Know
Heir hunters are often not well understood, and there tends to be some mystery and confusion surrounding their industry. Heir hunting isn’t...
Get Started on Your Family History Research
The best way to get started researching family history is to look through records held by statutory bodies. These include the Registrar General's...
How Genealogical Researchers Find Missing Beneficiaries
Global travel and immigration are increasingly common. As a result, extended families often spread across the world. Over decades, some family...
Family Tree Researchers
Have you ever considered looking at your family tree but are unsure where to start? Using family tree researchers, or heir hunters can save you a...
Relatives, Wills and Inheritance
You may be relatives to a deceased individual by virtue of your bloodline, but that doesn’t necessarily make you an heir to his or her fortune. ...
Ancestry DNA Testing Kits – Pros and Cons
Science is constantly advancing, and recent years have seen a surge in demand for ancestry DNA testing kits rather than the traditional family tree...
Finding Lost life insurance
Finding life insurance documents is not the first thing on your mind when a loved one passes away. It is hard to think about paperwork and policies...
Hiring a Genealogist for a Statutory Will
Hiring a Genealogist for a Statutory Will can often be useful, when an individual is unable to make their own Will then it can be written for him or...
Is there a link between Hoarding and having no immediate family
A person with hoarding disorder has a hard time getting rid of or letting go of their stuff because they feel compelled to keep them. Hoarding...
How Do I Search Parish and Bishop’s Records?
Unlocking Your Family Tree: Using Parish and Bishop's Records When you research your family tree, Parish and Bishop's Records offer invaluable...
Things to be wary of when you create your family tree
Family Trees: Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them If you're starting your first family tree, you're probably eager to dive in! However, many...
Who do you think you are, find out with family trees
You've probably considered creating a family tree but haven't started. Indeed, there has never been a better time to begin your genealogy search....
The advantages of creating your family tree
You may have thought about creating your family tree in the past, but never really got round to it as you didn’t have time, or you had more pressing...
Changing your name by Deed Poll
Have you ever thought about changing your name by Deed Poll? Perhaps you thought about making a change to the name of your child or children? If the...
Why do I need a family tree for a Statutory Will?
A Statutory Will is a difficult thing to have awarded. The process for applying for it is complicated; and there is a lot of evidence that you need...
Celebrating our ancestors that fought for freedom
This year marks the 75th anniversary of World War II's end. Many of our families fought on Normandy's beaches. Others defended the skies during the...
A Quick Guide to Statutory Wills
Statutory Wills are not as complicated as they might seem to be, but the process of obtaining one isn't easy, and there are some things you need to...
Can you lose your inheritance if you wait too long to execute the will?
Can you lose your inheritance? The short answer is yes. Because no specific timeframe exists for executing a will, you can indeed miss out. However,...
Champagne heir conned out of fortune
Conmen are nothing new. But have you heard of a policeman using the ruse of recruiting marks as "secret agents"? Probably not! Then you're about to...
Brothers win land inheritance battle
Land promises can end in court more often than you might think, so it should be no surprise to discover that when Anthony “Tony” Sowray promised...
Administrator Searches
If you're a legal professional tasked with finding the rightful Administrator of an estate, an Administrator search is very likely on your to-do...
House of Savoy Opens Succession to Women
The House of Savoy, a prominent historical family among European royalty, has taken a significant step towards modernization as we begin this new...
The War between the Korean Air Heirs
Inheritances usually bring us two things -- money and issues. When you are from a rich family, more money may mean more issues. This is what is...
Kobe Bryant’s Heritage Is Around 800 Million Dollars
Humans often shy away from contemplating death. That's why news like the sudden passing of Kobe Bryant – a healthy, vibrant 41-year-old athlete –...
Why Dying Intestate Is Such A Problem
Dying intestate means passing away without a valid will. This oversight might seem minor, but it can create significant problems. It makes managing...
Aldi Supermarket Owner Tried to Disinherit Her Heirs
Aldi Heiress Disinheritance: The Albrecht Family Will Dispute Cäcilie Albrecht, owner of Aldi Supermarket, passed away last November. Days ago,...
Succession TV Series: What is the 2nd season about?
One may think that Succession is a TV series made for our blog. If you do not know it, we can summarise it as a drama focused on how the fictional...
Be Careful When Buying a House from an Heir
It is relatively common for someone who has just inherited a house and wants to sell it quickly to offer it at a slightly lower price than the...
How To Spot A Fake
When you’re younger, getting post addressed to you felt like your birthday, or Christmas, and let’s be honest, it was usually a birthday or...
What Do Heir Hunters Do?
Heir hunting probably isn't something you think about every day. For us at Fleetwood Heir Hunters, it's our core business, so it's always on our...
Reasons Heir Hunters Are Important
You will no doubt have heard of heir hunters. Whether it is through the BBC television series, movies, books, news reports, or word of mouth – you...
Unclaimed Estates
Bona Vacantia does not stand for ‘goods without an owner’, it stands for ‘why am I doing this’. ‘Unclaimed Estates’ is a record of deceased Estates,...
What To Do If You Inherit A Property
While most people immediately think of cash when it comes to an inheritance, it's quite common to inherit property instead. This can sometimes cause...
What To Do If You Are Contacted By An Heir Hunter
Anyone could be contacted by an heir hunter such as Fleetwood Heir Hunters at any time. It happens if they are determined – after an in depth...
What Are The Intestacy Rules?
When someone passes away in the UK without leaving a valid will, they are considered to have died 'intestate'. This means their estate isn't...
Empty properties
Empty properties are a significant concern across the UK, creating a host of problems for communities and councils alike. These vacant buildings...
Using DNA to Create Your Family Tree
You can buy a Family Tree DNA kit from many places online, and even on the high street. Their price has become much more affordable these days, as...
What Does Bona Vacantia Mean
The Latin term ‘bona vacantia’ literally means ‘vacant goods’. But what does that mean in terms of the law? It means that someone has died intestate...
Research Your Family Tree
Sometimes, a medical concern can spark a deep dive into your family's past. Understanding the vital link between health and ancestry can be...
Is Heir Hunting real
Have you ever watched a show like 'Heir Hunters' and wondered if finding long-lost beneficiaries is truly a profession? The answer is yes, heir...
Heir Hunting
For many, planning for their demise is a sad and somber challenge. Some find it straightforward, passing their entire estate to a significant other...
Abandoned Properties
Why Are Properties Left Abandoned? For many people, the most prized possession they’ll ever own is their house, the property they bought or raised a...