No Will; Heir Locator Company Contacted Us

**Marie in Florida** · 07-15-2006, 03:05 PM

My mother was contacted by an heir locator company that her deceased sister (in Md.) left no will and that she is entitled to 1/6 of the estate. My mother lives here in FL with me and my family (only child daughter) and we received a contract today from one of the heir locator co. and they are asking for 25% of the inheritance to pursue the matter. Seems one of the nephews made a claim for my aunt's estate without stating that there were any other heirs. My mother is the only sibling alive from her immediate family and the rest of the heirs are children of her deceased brothers and sisters, hence the 1/6 inheritance.

Should we go with this company to receive the inheritance? Or should we get a lawyer to help us collect the inheritance, and if so, should the lawyer be in Florida or Maryland? Or will the court handle everything on its own and will she will receive her portion if we do nothing.

Thank you for any information you may be able to give me. We are not sure what to do, but 25% seems like a lot to us. Maybe it isn't, but we have nothing to judge this by.

Marie

**Mr. Knowitall** · 07-15-2006, 04:01 PM

It seems to me that with the information you have, there is probably no need to go through the heir locator service. If your mother knows where her sister was living at the time she died, that should be the county where the estate issues are being litigated - she can call the County courthouse in that county and find out if there is a probate action under her sister's name.

If the estate is in Maryland, she would need a Maryland attorney to help her with the legal proceedings. It's hard to know the extent to which she needs a lawyer without knowing more about the case, although the distance alone may necessitate her using a lawyer for some matters.