Heir hunters take steps to industry regulation

A professional body has been formed to look after the interests of members of the public when dealing with businesses that trace people entitled to share in the estate of someone who has died.

The Association of Probate Researchers (APR) was set up to counter the lack of regulation in the probate research, or heir hunting industry. Its instigator was Neil Fraser, a partner at Fraser & Fraser, the research firm featured most prominently on BBC 1’s Heir Hunters programme.

APR was incorporated in June 2016 and is now a recognised body under the Professional Paralegal Register (PPR). This allows its members to hold a PPR practising certificate whilst they follow APR and PPR guidelines.

The Association aims to protect consumers (beneficiaries) from rogue firms and individuals who believe they can become probate researchers with very little or no legal training and experience. Some have set up in business after watching the TV series.

In the past few years there have been several cases before the courts of fraudsters posing as heir hunters, resulting in millions of pounds being stolen from members of the public – though this figure is believed to be just the tip of the iceberg.

APR was set up as a voluntary, self-regulatory body. All members sign up to the professional ethics and code of conduct. In addition to the ability to apply for PPR practising certificates, it offers an independent compensation scheme and an independent complaints procedure. It is in talks with several of the leading firms in the industry and hopes to announce more members in the near future.

Now chair of the APR, Mr Fraser commented: “Our members will at last be able to have their professional status recognised. This is only the beginning in order to justly regulate the industry, but it is a huge first step.
Beneficiaries can be comforted by the fact that our individual paralegal practitioners are regulated and backed by a compensatory scheme, an industry first.”