The probate opened with two cousins as the expected recipients. The house sold. The proceeds sat in a trust account. Then, almost a year in, ten more relatives appeared. There is an industry for this. They are called heir hunters, and they are very good at finding people once an estate becomes public record.
Transcript
What I said in this clip, lightly edited for readability.
Let me tell you the story. So I had a person come in, opening a probate, claiming that he's a cousin of the deceased. The deceased has no relatives known to him. He was sincere. We opened the probate, and the recipients should have been two cousins.
Half a year, even more, almost a year into the process, we already sold the house and put it in a trust account, waiting for it to be distributed, because we can't distribute yet. Ten more, a big number, more relatives appeared, because there are people called heir hunters.
You've probably heard about ambulance chasers. So this is similar, but about inheritance. So if you don't create your documents, you never know how it's going to end up. And it happened that my clients will receive nothing. They will receive just the costs of administering the estate. And so things happen in probate, and you never know what's going to be next.
More on this topic: Probate
More From the Seminar
- Why You Only See Funeral Photos of Some Celebrities
- A $1.5 Million Estate, 18 Months, and a Public Record
- Probate Is Public. Everything In It Becomes Searchable.
Book a free consultation, or call (818) 788-7881.
Attorney advertising. This content is general information, not legal advice.