Despite advances in technology and an increasingly interconnected world, genealogy remains a highly skilled investigative process. A cursory skim through Facebook simply doesn’t cut it, explains head of private client at Estate Research Dom Hendry in the latest Today’s Wills and Probate Podcast.
Modern genealogists spend a huge amount of time ruling out incorrect leads, verifying information, and cross-referencing sources before reaching reliable conclusions. It would be wholly inaccurate to portray genealogy as an exercise in browsing social media or conducting internet searches. Instead, it’s painstakingly trawling through official records, including birth, marriage and death certificates, immigration records, wills and government archives. Social media can occasionally provide leads, but it is rarely relied upon as a primary source because of concerns about accuracy and verification.
Historically, a solicitor might have relied on information provided by known family members, but modern family arrangements, remarriages, blended families and previously unknown relatives create greater potential for disputes. There is also varying accessibility to records around the world; the UK benefits from comprehensive and relatively open public records, whereas other jurisdictions may have excellent records that are more difficult to access due to legal restrictions.
This growing risk of an unknown child or beneficiary emerging after an estate has been distributed has contributed to increased demand for professional genealogy services says Hendry.
The podcast moves on to discuss the removal and re-publication of the Bona Vacantia following it’s use to perpetrate fraud; and succession law reform following the government’s recent cohabitation consultation which Hendry warns could result in unintended consequences
With continued growth in both probate genealogy and the wider probate sector predicted, and increasing demand for end-to-end support, the profession must steer clear of commoditisation concludes Hendry, and continue to excel in allying technical expertise with the advice, reassurance and empathy needed by families during some of the most challenging moments of their lives.
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Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Estates, Estate Research, Property Ladder Group and Finders International.
