The Challenge: A Succession Crisis and Missing Heirs
Our client, a private client solicitor, was in the midst of administering the estate of a deceased person who had left her entire estate to her husband, Mr. W. The administration was proceeding smoothly until an unforeseen and unfortunate event occurred, Mr. W passed away.
This sudden turn of events created a significant problem. Mr. W died without a will, meaning his estate was now intestate. This immediately complicated matters, as our client’s authority to act on the original estate had now ceased. With both the original Deceased and her widower having passed, there was no one with the legal authority to administer either of the estates. This left the client in a difficult position, unable to move forward with the administration and facing daunting task of identifying the rightful heirs to two estates. The whereabouts and even the existence of these potential heirs were completely unknown; they were, missing heirs.
The Solution: A Contingency-Based Partnership
Recognising the urgency and complexity of the situation, the client reached out to Fraser and Fraser. We understood the client’s predicament and immediately offered our heir tracing services, taking on the genealogical research on a contingency basis. This meant that our client would not have to pay for our services upfront, removing the financial risk and allowing them to focus on their professional duties while we handled the research. Our fee would only be paid upon successful completion of the case.
Our expert team began a comprehensive and meticulous investigation into Mr. W’s family tree. We started with the immediate family, but the initial findings presented significant roadblocks; Mr. and Mrs. W had no children, and his father’s only full-blood sibling had died as an infant. This meant that the line of succession was not straightforward and required a much deeper dive into the family’s history to locate the missing heirs.
Going Above and Beyond: Unearthing a Complex Family Tree
This is where Fraser and Fraser’s commitment to exceeding expectations truly made the difference. Our researchers didn’t stop at the initial dead ends. They persevered, expanding their Heir tracing services to the previous generations. Our research team discovered that Mr. W’s paternal grandfather has been married twice and had children from his first marriage. This critical breakthrough meant that the rightful heirs to the estate were the descendants of these half-blood aunts and uncles of Mr. W.
This finding completely changed the scope of the investigation. Our team methodically traced these new lines of descent, identifying individuals across different generations and locations. Through extensive research and documentation, we successfully mapped out this complex family tree, ultimately locating all the previously missing heirs.
The Result: A Resounding Success
After thorough investigation, Fraser and Fraser successfully identified and documented 27 heirs to Mr. W’s estate. Since Mr. W was the sole beneficiary of his wife’s estate, these same 27 individuals were now also the beneficiaries of her estate.
We successfully located all of the missing heirs and provided a complete and fully documented family tree. This comprehensive report enabled our client to secure new instructions from the rightful heirs, giving them the authority they needed to administer both estate and bring the case to a successful conclusion. This case highlights how our dedication and expertise can resolve even the most challenging intestacy cases and provide significant value to our clients and their beneficiaries.
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