Heir tracing
We provide a full package of legal services and genealogical investigations.
You may be an heir to an inheritance left by a distant relative or the lawful owner of property without ever knowing about it.
Over the years, many Jewish families have been separated because of geographical distance, the tribulations of war, or simply because they moved away.
Moreover, during and after the Second World War, property belonging to Jewish individuals and families (such as real estate, bank accounts, insurance funds, and art collections) was confiscated or stolen by totalitarian regimes. Today, in many countries, and particularly in Europe, this property can be reclaimed or its lawful owners can receive compensation.
Our genealogical investigations and legal services focus on potential Jewish heirs who may be entitled to inheritance anywhere in the world. We specialize in locating missing or unknown heirs who would otherwise not receive their lawful inheritance.
In this process we represent you in locating and claiming legal ownership of your property.
Our professional research and legal knowhow may prove essential in establishing the propinquity required to support your status as a lawful heir.
We provide a full range of legal and genealogical research services. In most cases, our services fall into three main categories:
Locating unclaimed assets and matching them to their lawful heirs – This area of expertise requires good intuition, dedication, analytical ability, and investigative and organizational skills.
Creating an evidentiary foundation in order to prove the link between the lawful heirs and the inheritance – a search which begins in one country often leads us to several others before we can produce a complete family tree.
Reconstructing family relationships including the examination of public archives, court records, and other pertinent sources.
The entire process takes time. The executors and/or the probate courts in each of the countries must complete significant work before authorizing distribution. They settle debts, convert real estate and other holdings, and examine the right of the heirs who are claiming the inheritance. Only after all these requirements have been answered do they release profits to the lawful heirs. In some cases, this may take several years.
The entire process takes time. Estate administrators and/or probate courts in each country must complete significant work before they approve distribution. They settle debts, convert real estate and other holdings, and examine the right of claiming heirs to the inheritance. Only after all these requirements are met do they release proceeds to the rightful heirs. This can take several years in some cases.
No inheritance, no payment.
If we have asked you in advance to agree to pay for our services, then our fee will only become payable once you receive any inheritance as a result of our efforts. If, unfortunately, you do not receive any inheritance, we will not request any payment from you.
For further information, or should you have any questions you would like us to answer, please contact us.
