The French Civil Code organizes way in which inheritance is transmitted. Article 731 of the French Civil Code stipulates: ‘” an inheritance can only be devolved to relatives and the spouse of the deceased. ‘’ 1. Rules of intestacy 1st Order Direct descendents Legitimate and illegitimate children, , all have the same rights. 2nd Order […]
Our profession
The profession of inheritance Genealogist appeared with the foundation of our office in 1830. We grouped together the first professionals in the field, from both France and around world. We first established the best practices of the profession which became the reference as from the end of the 19th century. The occupation of the inheritance genealogist consists in searching for and certifying heirs in inheritance settlements being conducted by solicitors. The inheritance genealogist can also act as an agent for legal successors and defend their interests in inheritance settlements.
Acquired over the past two centuries, the expertise of our company is helpful in many other legal procedures. We are called upon by both legal and real estate professionals when searching for heirs to fortunes, the co-owners of properties or the beneficiaries of financial investments.
Research
Research consists in a slow and meticulous work which means starting from just one name, the deceased one, and ending with an exhaustive list of heirs. Proved facts are essential, hearsay and fond memories are not admissible. Civil registries, population censuses, registry archives, local investigations, are all used by the inheritance genealogist to carry out his research and draw up what will be considered the legally receivable family tree.
Disclosing
Once the last heir has been found, a letter is sent to all the heirs revealing the origin of the inheritance
Settlement
Settlement is the last stage in the inheritance genealogist’s task. Once he has the power of attorney, the inheritance genealogist, acting as an agent to the heir, will manage the settlement of the inheritance. This consists in dealing with the Civil Service, and meeting the solicitor to organize potential sales of real estate properties and […]
Professional Fees
Tracing Fees The Tracing Agreement sets out our fees. These are a percentage of the net amount of the heir’s inheritance, varying according to its relationship degree with the deceased. Fixed Fees Our fees for the search and certification of heirs are calculated according to the difficulty of each case and on the value of […]