Missing links specialise in locating and contacting beneficiaries on behalf of the legal profession. We occasionally work independently on case of intestacy, where an estate solicitor has yet to be appointed

When we begin our research we do not know how many legal heirs we will find. Once we have made progress we will contact family members to confirm specific details and to make further enquires.

When we have identified all the legal heirs and beneficiaries we will contact them and inform them of our work. 

If we have been formally instructed by a firm of solicitors to work on an hourly rate or fixed fee basis our fee will then be payable from the estate as a general estate expense. Alternatively, if we are working on a contingency fee basis we will need to enter into a contract with each heir individually.

It is general practice for genealogists not to reveal full information of the estate to which their research relates until all the heirs have been contacted and have signed a contract.