The most common reason why an individual needs to be found is because they owe money and appear to have moved away from their previous address. People in this situation can be:
- tenants owing arrears on former rental properties;
- directors of insolvent companies;
- customers or clients with outstanding bills or invoices;
- people fleeing debt for another reason.
Using a combination of sources, including specialist people-tracing tools, we can almost always find people without them knowing. It’s very important, in these instances, that the person being traced is unaware of the trace, so they don’t decide to disappear again! This is why we call this a “Silent Search”; we don’t approach them but give their contact details and other information to the instructing client.
In more complex cases, we can call on the services of a local private investigator, if necessary, although this is rare.
The output from a Silent Search, which we can usually deliver by e-mail within 24 hours (or quicker if urgent), is provided in an easy-to-read format, which is fully GDPR-compliant. Silent Searches are billed on a flat rate to the instructing client.
Alternatively, people may need to be traced because money is owed to them. People in this situation can be:
- heirs to unclaimed estates;
- missing heirs named in wills;
- people who have had their homes repossessed or compulsorily purchased;
- freeholders whose leaseholders wish to purchase the freehold.
In these situations, we don’t charge the instructing client. We will trace the missing people, contact them ourselves and invite them to sign a contingency fee agreement with us, for a small percentage of what they receive. We will then submit their claim back to the instructing party and work with both to ensure a smooth administration and transfer of the funds.
Finally, people may need to be traced not because they owe or are owed money, but because they simply need to sign paperwork. This is most commonly found in the conveyancing sector and can be done on the same basis as a Silent Search.
Aren’t there other companies who do this work?
Yes. Probate genealogy is a very competitive field and the chances are you’ll be contacted by several other genealogy companies at the same time. So why should you choose us and not them? Find out here!
If you have any other questions not covered on this page, feel free to get in touch here.