Estate and Probate Attorney Services

Safety of Elders, Protection of Assets, Locates of Heirs

“A former companion of the decedent has appeared with a recent will naming her as sole beneficiary of his estate. This is a surprise to the estate attorney and the decedent’s children, who are named as heirs in an older will. Why wasn’t this will filed?”

This is a twist on a not uncommon scenario, a contested estate or probate settlement. However, often times “attacks” on an estate happen well before a loved one has passed away, and key family members may not be aware. For example, a caregiver who was not properly vetted may have forged checks on the patient’s account, or adult children suddenly faced with a parent in an advanced stage of dementia may not know where their parent’s real estate and other holdings are located. Long lost children or other heirs may need to be located. Every day legal investigators are assisting estate attorneys and family members in answering these and other questions.

Trace Investigations assists estate and probate attorneys and their clients by:

  • Conducting background investigations on caregivers and assisted living facilities;
  • Investigating a new companion or others who have inserted themselves into the life of a family’s wealthy and widowed patriarch or matriarch;
  • Reviewing questioned documents, such as previously unknown wills and codicils;
  • Providing forensic examinations on cellular and tablet devices which may have information to assist an investigation;
  • Searching for a decedent’s assets, or for an estranged sibling named in a will, or the unknown heirs of someone who has passed intestate.

The benefits of an investigation:

  • Protection of Persons: The safety and well-being of a loved one is protected;
  • Protection of Assets: A family’s assets are identified or saved from unlawful intrusions;
  • Identification of Adverse Actors: A forensic examination of a decedent’s cellular phone or tablet could prove elder exploitation;
  • Protection of Right: An heir’s rights under law are protected;
  • Ability to Prevail: An estate attorney’s duty is fulfilled.

 

To eliminate doubt that could jeopardize the outcome of a serious matter please call us at 812-334-8857 for a FREE consultation.