How to Locate Beneficiaries
When a person dies, his or her estate is typically probated in the county court where the person lived. During the probate process, beneficiaries of the decedent must be notified. Beneficiaries are persons who will receive something from the decedent's will; if there is no will, beneficiaries include the spouse, children and other immediate family of the decedent. The personal representative (or "executor") of the estate must notify the beneficiaries of the decedent's passing and what benefits they are to receive.
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Instructions
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Post notice of the decedent's death in a newspaper that regularly circulates in the county where the decedent lived. The notice should explain that the decedent died and instruct beneficiaries to contact the decedent's personal representative and how that contact can be made.
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Research the decedent's vital records. Look up the decedent's birth certificate, death certificate, marriage certificate and other documents such as house title and insurance policies. Identify names and addresses of the decedent's family from these documents. Try contacting the individuals at the addresses listed in those documents.
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Use cemetery indexes and census data to locate other beneficiaries. According to "The Sydney Morning Herald" (an Australian newspaper), a personal representative was able to scour records such as cemetery indexes and census data to find the beneficiary of an Australian philanderer who left no will; the beneficiary was found in America.
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Hire an investigator. If you cannot locate beneficiaries using common sources of information, consider hiring an investigator. Many commercial firms offer investigative services to find beneficiaries.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Grave with fence image by Stokholm from Fotolia.com
