Title Research in The Times - Heir hunter fees

The Times newspaper - 'They are genealogists, not footballers'

We wanted to bring your attention to editorial coverage which appeared in The Times newspaper on Saturday 14th August regarding calls for fair charging of missing beneficiaries found by heir hunters. You can view these articles by clicking on the link below:

The Times coverage

Frances Gibb, Legal Affairs Editor at The Times, reports on the shocking fees paid by Cherill Andrews and her relatives to an heir hunter firm, which came to 33% of their legacies, amounting to fees of £65,000 plus VAT to find three beneficiaries. On top of that the heir hunter firm racked up expenses of £12,000. Sadly, percentage fees at this level are not uncommon. We know this to be the case, because of the many beneficiaries and solicitor clients who have contacted us reporting fees out of all proportion to the amount of time spent on research. Moreover, we know these fees are disproportionate because we carry out the same research at a fraction of the cost for an hourly fee or fixed fee.

We wholeheartedly agree with the editorial by Andrew Ellson, Personal Finance Editor at The Times, “When companies are able to exploit human nature so easily for excess profit, regulators must step in to protect the public.” Andrew Ellson is right to highlight the need for the Legal Services Board to review urgently whether such high fees are ever justified.

Solicitors have a role to play when appointing genealogists and can ensure estates only pay fair charges which reflect time spent on research, rather than arbitrary and excessive percentage fees. The Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners, the Law Society and the Institute of Legal Executives can play an important role in communicating this best practice message to the legal profession, given the growing calls for regulation.

Our ‘Fairness Campaign’ to end to excessive ‘contingency fees’ has received many messages of support posted on our website. Our campaign continues and if you have not already posted a message of support and would like to back our campaign, please email fairnesscampaign@titleresearch.com with your message.

Title Research celebrates its 45th birthday this year and we continue to be rooted to the fair-minded values that have served our clients well. We are committed to delivering excellent service and value for money for our clients. If you need any advice or assistance on any of the matters you are dealing with then please do not hesitate to get in touch.