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 will have a fair idea of what it is they do. Or will you? The media may not accurately depict heir hunters, or they may only show the parts that are deemed ‘exciting’ or ‘interesting’. This can give the general public a less than true view of exactly what it is that heir hunters do. To make things clearer, we’ve put together some reasons why heir hunters are important, and how we could help you in the future.
Inheritance
It is easy to write a will, and using experts such as the ones at IWC Probate Services means that there is no reason why you wouldn’t write one. However, even though it is much easier and less expensive than some people think, there are still a vast number of people who have not written wills.
If they die before they get their will written, they will have died intestate, and this can cause problems for the family left behind whose inheritance can be delayed or even passed to someone else due to the intestacy laws regarding who can inherit an intestate estate.
If there are no immediate relatives, then things become even more complicated, and this is where heir hunters come in. Heir hunters carry out the investigation into who might be able to inherit the estate. They will uncover, if possible, any distant relatives who will then be able to inherit. If no one can be found then the estate will revert to the Crown instead.
Health Reasons
However, although heir hunters are most well-known for tracking down long-lost relatives and telling them that they have received something in someone’s will, they carry out other tasks as well. One of these is tracking down people for health reasons.
There are some diseases and conditions that are hereditary, meaning that it is passed down through the generations. If someone has such a disease, an heir hunter might be engaged to find other members of the family so that they can be informed about the potential for becoming ill and get checked out as soon as possible. This offers them the chance to be treated, and if that is not something that can be done then they can write their will and get their affairs in order at least.
Missing People
Since much of what an heir hunter does involves tracking and tracing people, it makes sense that they would also be called upon to find missing people, even if those people aren’t due any inheritance. Sometimes people move away and contact is lost, or they simply seem to disappear. It could be due to an adoption, for example, or any number of different reasons.
An heir hunter will have the tools, means, and experience at their disposal to be able to find those people, or at least gain some more information about what might have happened to them.