Heir hunters, probate genealogists and fixed-fee traces: a share of the inheritance or a fee for an address

Heir hunters, more formally probate genealogists, find unknown relatives of people who have died, usually in return for a percentage of what each relative inherits; a fixed-fee trace finds the current address of a person you can already name, for a set fee paid by whoever instructs it. If you know who the beneficiary is and only need to find where they live, you need a trace, not to give away a share of the estate. If nobody knows who the relatives are, you need genealogical research, and the question becomes who pays for it and how. This guide explains both models, the government's unclaimed estates list and what to do if an heir hunter writes to you. It covers England and Wales and is general information, not legal advice.

Two different jobs

	Heir hunter (probate genealogist)	Fixed-fee address trace
The question	Who is entitled to this estate?	Where does this named person live now?
Starting point	A person who has died, often with no known family	A living person you can name, with a date of birth or a previous address
The work	Building a family tree and finding the living relatives in it	Finding and checking the person's current registered address
How it is paid	Usually a percentage of each relative's share, often agreed before the estate is named; sometimes a fee charged to the estate	A set fee, known in advance, paid by whoever instructs
Who starts it	Often the genealogist, approaching relatives unprompted; sometimes an executor or a solicitor	An executor, administrator or solicitor with a lawful reason

The two overlap less than people think. A genealogist works out who the heirs are. A trace finds a person once you know who they are. Many estates only ever need the second.

How heir hunting works

When someone dies without a will and without known relatives, their estate passes to the Crown as bona vacantia, ownerless property. In England and Wales, outside the Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall, the Bona Vacantia Division of the Government Legal Department deals with it and publishes an unclaimed estates list. Heir hunters work from that list and from other notices of death, research the family tree, find living relatives who would inherit under the intestacy rules, and approach them.

The usual model is a contract: the relative agrees to pay a percentage of their inheritance in return for being told about the estate and having the claim handled for them. The genealogist carries the cost and the risk of the research, and is paid only if the relative inherits. That is fair value where the relative would never otherwise have known. It is poor value where the relative could have found the estate in an afternoon, or where an executor was already looking for them.

The unclaimed estates list

The list is published on GOV.UK and updated daily. Publication was suspended in July 2025 while the government looked into concerns about fraud, and restored in January 2026 in a shorter form: it now shows only the name of the person who died, the date of death, the area where they died and the Bona Vacantia case reference. Anyone can search it, free.

If you think you are related to someone on the list, you can claim directly. The Bona Vacantia Division asks for a family tree showing how you are related, and identification, and may ask for birth, marriage and death certificates. You do not need a genealogist or a solicitor to make a claim, though a complicated family history may justify help. Estates in the Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall are dealt with separately, those in Scotland by the King's and Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer, and those in Northern Ireland by the Crown Solicitor's Office.

If an heir hunter writes to you

Take your time. A letter that pushes you to sign quickly is a reason to slow down.
Work out who it might be. Think about relatives who have died recently, particularly any without a partner or children, and search the unclaimed estates list for the surname.
Check whether anyone is already dealing with the estate. If there is a will or an executor, the executor has a duty to find the beneficiaries and may already be looking for you. Contact them directly.
Ask before you sign: the percentage, whether VAT and expenses are on top, what happens if the estate turns out to be small, and how to cancel. If you sign at home or at a distance, consumer law usually gives you 14 days to cancel.
Take independent advice on any agreement before you sign it, particularly if the sum could be large.
Guard your details. Concern about fraud is why the list was cut back, so be wary of anyone asking for bank details or money up front.

When an executor needs a genealogist, and when a trace

Executors and administrators must distribute the estate to the right people, and that sometimes needs both kinds of help.

A named beneficiary who has moved. The will names a niece, and nobody has an address for her. That is a trace: her full name and a date of birth or an old address are enough to start, and the fee is known before you begin.
Known family, unknown addresses. On an intestacy the family can usually say who the siblings, nieces and nephews are. Each one is a separate trace.
Unknown family. Nobody knows whether the person who died had cousins, or who they were. That is genealogy. A genealogist instructed by the estate may work for a fee charged to the estate rather than a percentage from each heir, which can be better value for the beneficiaries, so ask.
A beneficiary who cannot be found at all. After proper enquiries, the options include missing beneficiary insurance, a Benjamin order and holding a reserve. Missing beneficiary insurance and Benjamin orders sets them out.

A percentage against a fixed fee

The difference is in who carries the risk and who pays. A percentage is taken from the beneficiary's share, so it grows with the estate: the same research costs more on a larger inheritance. A fixed fee is paid by whoever instructs, does not depend on the size of the estate, and is known before work starts. Neither model is wrong. A percentage pays for open-ended research into a family nobody knows. A fixed fee pays for a defined job: finding a named person.

Where the job is the defined one, giving up part of an inheritance for it makes little sense. If you know who you are looking for, a trace at £150, charged only if the person is found, is the proportionate answer.

What Trace Bureau does, and what it does not

Trace Bureau finds the current registered UK address of a living person you can name. It cross-references more than 150 sources, registers and records, a private investigator checks and verifies the result, and you receive a dated PDF report with the address and a confidence rating: Confirmed, Probable or Possible. The report goes on the estate file as evidence of the enquiries made. If the evidence shows the person has died or moved abroad, you are told what we established.

It does not build family trees, research who is entitled to an estate or take a share of anything. Standard is £150, delivered within 3 to 5 working days; Priority is £200, delivered within 2 to 3 working days. Solicitors and professional executors receive the matter reference on the report, a signed statement on request and a free re-check within 60 days. There is nothing to pay when you instruct. Your card is only saved, and it is charged only when a private investigator has verified a current address. Not found, no fee.

Making the first approach to a beneficiary

Write first, from the executor or the solicitor. Say plainly who has died, that the person may be entitled under the will or the intestacy rules, and what you need from them to confirm who they are. Do not ask for bank details in the first letter: after the publicity about estate fraud, a genuine beneficiary is right to be wary of a letter that does. Finding missing beneficiaries covers the wider duties of executors.

When to instruct a professional trace

Instruct when you can name the beneficiary or relative but do not know where they live, and you are the executor or administrator, or the solicitor acting for the estate. Give every detail the family can supply: full name, any former names, a date of birth or an approximate age, and the last address anyone remembers. Instruct a trace online, or see tracing for probate practitioners.

Questions

What is an heir hunter?

A probate genealogist who researches the family of someone who has died, usually without a will or known relatives, finds living relatives entitled to inherit and offers to handle their claim, normally in return for a percentage of their share.

Should I sign an agreement with an heir hunter?

Not in a hurry. Search the government's unclaimed estates list, think about relatives who have died, check whether an executor is already dealing with the estate, and ask about the percentage, VAT, expenses and cancellation. Take independent advice before signing if the sum could be large.

What is the unclaimed estates list?

A list published on GOV.UK by the Bona Vacantia Division of the Government Legal Department, of estates of people who died without a will or known relatives. Since January 2026 it shows only the name, date of death, area of death and case reference.

Do executors have to use an heir hunter to find a beneficiary?

No. If the beneficiary can be named, a fixed-fee trace finds their current address. A genealogist is needed only when nobody knows who the relatives are.

How much does a fixed-fee beneficiary trace cost?

With Trace Bureau a Standard trace is £150 and Priority is £200, per person, whatever the size of the estate. Nothing is charged unless a private investigator verifies a current address.

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Trace Bureau is a UK address tracing service run by a private investigator through a UK-registered limited company, and every address it reports is verified by a private investigator before release. This guide is general information, not legal advice. Prices correct at 20 Oct 2026.