Individuals & Families

Private Detectives - Finding Heirs

After the death of a relative, comes the delicate moment of facing his will and his legacy. Each of the heirs must accept their assigned part, a circumstance which, in some cases, can generate suspicions, doubts and mistrust, originating sometimes large family conflicts.

The tensions lead to those involved, or the lawyers hired by them to attend private detective agencies for information on other heirs or verify that the requirements of the deceased in the will to be a beneficiary of it are true. It is also possible that the executor of the estate has not been chosen properly or is not the right person, and the evidence is relevant to prove it.

Location of heirs

In most cases, the private detective work focuses on locating people. Since the acceptance of the inheritance takes place in a single act notarized, which all the heirs have to be present, it is possible that some of the heirs are unaware of the whereabouts of others, and then, it's necessary to locate them. This is the case of the appointed heirs voluntarily by the deceased, because sometimes, they don't know to be part of the will and they don't belong to the family. By this reason they are not known by the other legal direct heirs.

It may also be necessary to locate all the descendants of the deceased, either because the deceased has died outside the Spanish territory, either because their relatives were who moved to another country or city and they lost contact with the rest of the family.

Location of assets and property

Another problem often raised about the legacies is the location of assets and property. Sometimes, the beneficiaries of an estate not know the full extent of it or its location as the deceased did not reveal part of their possessions, or the legal status of the property (possible charges) and its real value. Ignorance of these data can lead to problems in future cases where it is suspected debts and charges.

The heir has recognized his right to renounce the inheritance, but it is not possible to accept only part of the heritage and give to another. With the knowledge of the possible charges and debts and information about the real state of heritage provided by a private detective, it is possible to evaluate the situation and make the right decision.