Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is heir tracing?
Heir tracing is the process of identifying, verifying and locating the living relatives or beneficiaries of a deceased person. This may involve reconstructing family lines, confirming relationships and finding individuals whose current whereabouts are unknown.
2. Who uses heir-tracing services?
We work with law firms, estate trustees, executors, administrators, trust companies, government agencies, corporations and individuals who require assistance identifying or locating heirs, beneficiaries or family members.
3. When might an heir search be required?
An heir search may be helpful when:
A person dies without a will
A named beneficiary cannot be located
The deceased’s family structure is unclear
An heir has died and their descendants must be identified
Relatives may be living outside the country
Information provided by family members is incomplete or conflicting
Independent due diligence is required before an estate can be distributed
4. What information do you need to begin?
We can often begin with the deceased person’s full name, approximate dates of birth and death, and last known location. Any additional information can be helpful, including:
Death certificates or obituaries
Wills and estate documents
Names of known relatives
Birth, marriage or death information
Previous addresses
Existing family trees
Photographs, letters or family records
Details of any previous research or contact attempts
You do not need to have every detail before contacting us.
5. What records do you search?
Depending on the case and jurisdiction, our research may include:
Birth, marriage and death records
Probate and court records
Census and immigration records
Obituaries and newspaper archives
Cemetery and funeral-home records
Land and property records
Historical directories
Church and parish registers
Public records and professional research databases
Social media and other open-source information
The records available vary by country, province, state and time period.
6. Can you verify an existing family tree?
Yes. We can review an existing family tree, confirm relationships using available records and identify missing, conflicting or unsupported information. Online family trees can provide useful leads, but their information should be independently verified before being relied upon for legal or estate purposes.
7. Can you locate a missing heir or beneficiary?
Yes. In addition to identifying heirs, we can conduct research to locate their current contact information. This may include a current or recent address, phone number, email address or other information that may assist with contact.
8. Will you contact the heir or beneficiary?
Only when authorized. We can provide the located information to the instructing client, or we can make contact and verify the individual’s identity and relationship on the client’s behalf.
We do not disclose confidential details about an estate or client without authorization.
9. What if an heir lives outside Canada?
Raven Heir Tracing handles matters throughout Canada and the United States and can coordinate international research when required. International cases may take longer depending on the country, language, availability of records and whether documents must be obtained from local archives or government offices.
10. How long does an heir search take?
Most heir-tracing matters are completed within approximately 15 to 30 business days. The timeframe depends on the number of family lines involved, the information available at the outset, the jurisdictions being searched and whether records must be ordered from third parties.
Complex or international matters may require additional time. We provide updates if the scope or expected timeframe changes.
11. How much does heir tracing cost?
The cost depends on the complexity and scope of the assignment. Factors may include:
The number of heirs or family branches involved
How many generations must be researched
Whether relatives are deceased
The number of jurisdictions involved
The availability of public and historical records
Whether international research or document retrieval is required
Our general research rate is $100 per hour, with an initial three-hour minimum. After the initial research period, we provide an update on what has been located and whether additional work is recommended. No additional research is completed without the client’s authorization. Smaller cases take between 3-10 hours, larger complex and multi-country cases can take 10 hours or more.
12. Are there additional costs for obtaining records?
Some cases require certified documents, archival files, court records, translations or assistance from third-party researchers. When possible, we identify these anticipated costs in advance. Any significant additional expense requiring approval will be discussed with the client before it is incurred.
13. Are your findings guaranteed?
No researcher can guarantee that every requested record or person will be located. Records may be restricted, incomplete, destroyed, incorrectly indexed or unavailable in certain jurisdictions.
We do guarantee that the authorized research will be conducted carefully and professionally and that the client will receive a clear account of the findings, including any limitations or unresolved questions.
14. What happens if no heirs are found?
The research completed is still documented. Our report will explain the family lines examined, the records reviewed, the searches conducted and any limitations encountered. A negative or inconclusive result can still help demonstrate the steps taken to identify and locate possible heirs.
15. What happens if the records conflict?
Conflicting information is common in genealogical research. Names may be misspelled, dates may vary and relatives may provide different accounts of the same family history.
We compare the available evidence, assess the reliability of each source and explain any unresolved discrepancies in our report. We do not merge individuals or relationships based only on similar names or unsupported assumptions.
16. What will I receive when the research is complete?
The final product depends on the scope of the assignment and may include:
A written investigative or genealogical report
A reconstructed family tree
Details of identified heirs or beneficiaries
Current or recent contact information
Supporting documents and record references
A summary of unsuccessful searches or unresolved issues
Recommendations for any appropriate next steps
17. Is the information I provide confidential?
Yes. Information provided to Raven Heir Tracing is treated as confidential and used only for the authorized purpose of the investigation. Our research sources, methods and investigative records are also handled confidentially.
18. Can your report be used in a legal or probate matter?
Our reports are prepared to clearly document the research conducted, the evidence located and the basis for our conclusions. The specific filing or evidentiary requirements vary by court and jurisdiction, so clients should consult their lawyer or the applicable court regarding how the report should be relied upon. Our reports are regularly used in probate matters.
Raven Heir Tracing does not provide legal advice.
19. Can a completed report be updated?
Yes. If new documents, DNA results or family information become available after the report has been completed, we can review the additional evidence and update our findings where appropriate.