Callum Emmerson
Are you a wills and probate solicitor looking for a genealogy specialist to help trace executors who have moved abroad? This process is never easy across borders, but it doesn’t have to be challenging, as you’ll discover in this blog post.
But first, let’s look at how many people choose to move and retire abroad and why.
More than 6 million UK adults opt to live and retire abroad, and there are plenty of good reasons for this, most notably:
- Lower living costs
- Warmer climate
These people often buy properties in foreign countries. However, if the property owner becomes deceased, beneficiaries will be required to trace the executor to ensure the departed’s wishes are fulfilled.
And this is never straightforward, as professional conduct mandates that an estate’s executor must be present when sharing it.
The process of tracing executors can be a tough call if the executor lives abroad.
It can also be challenging if the deceased owned several properties abroad and possibly appointed various executors.
If you’re unable to find the executor, the law requires you to consult the non-contentious probate rules. You might be required to obtain a ‘Grant of Letters of Administration with Will Annexed’ to allow the beneficiary to take over the roles of the previous executor.
But the person might not be willing to take on the role.
In addition, different countries have different laws pertaining to acquiring the documents. The steps will also differ from country to country depending on the type of assets.
The Grant registry also needs proof that the solicitor has made a reasonable attempt to locate the original executor using a sworn statement.
Note that if beneficiaries ever challenged the will and it was found that you did not do your due diligence, you might be answerable to a court of law.
It’s also important to note that in the Grant of Letters of Administration, a person is required to have the deceased’s financial details. But the banks aren’t willing to provide this type of information to anyone who isn’t an executor.
So as you can see, it’s paramount to locate the executor to make the execution of a will a smooth process.
An easy way to trace an executor is by using the services of a probate genealogy specialist. They will usually have the skills and expert techniques to find missing persons in any corner of the world.
This will help you act in accordance with the law by ensuring an executor is present before subdividing the estate. Using a search service will also eliminate the headache of dealing with different country laws for you.
Need Help Tracing Solicitors Abroad?
If you’re looking for a company with an unparalleled skill set when it comes to tracing missing persons, try Blanchards Inheritance. We have worked on a wide range of different cases, some very complex, for over ten years. We have helped find thousands of missing persons over the years.
What makes us different?
We personalise our services to meet our client’s needs since no two cases are ever the same. What’s more? We use Open Source INTelligence (OSINT), meaning we leave no stone unturned as the technique is very thorough.
Contact us today to find out more about how we can help.