What Fraser and Fraser does

Fraser and Fraser is a London-headquartered probate genealogy firm that traces missing beneficiaries and heirs for unclaimed and intestate estates. Founded in 1930 and currently in its third generation of family ownership under Partners Andrew and Neil Fraser, the firm operates as a private partnership and describes itself as one of the world's largest dedicated probate research practices. It serves three primary segments: private-client solicitors requiring next-of-kin tracing and estate administration support; UK local authorities needing free next-of-kin tracing for intestate cases, public health funerals, and empty homes; and individual beneficiaries contacted directly when estate entitlements are identified. Documented case outcomes include locating sole heirs for a £325,000 estate, identifying 40+ global cousins for the Susan Ware estate, and tracing 27 heirs across a complex dual intestacy.

The firm's core offering combines proprietary research assets (in-house historical records database, Free Family Tree Checker) with third-party data integrations spanning genealogy (Ancestry, FindMyPast), credit reference (TransUnion, Experian, Equifax), identity and AML verification (LexisNexis, GB Group), and certified financial capabilities including the STAMP Medallion Signature Guarantee (US$1M limit). Ancillary product lines include asset search, share valuations, probate property services (via The Property Ladder Group partnership), Missing Beneficiary Insurance (via Zurich and Isis Conveyancing), and certificate ordering. Revenue is generated predominantly through outcome-based contingency fees of 5–25% of beneficiary entitlement, supplemented by fixed-fee professional services ranging from £115+VAT for Energy Performance Certificates to £800+VAT for Isle of Man/Channel Islands Grants of Probate.

The go-to-market model is sales-led, combining direct solicitor referrals, public sector partnerships with local authority departments (Environmental Health, Empty Homes, Bereavement Services), and direct beneficiary outreach supported by the Client Zone online portal. The firm has held ISO 27001:2013 certification, FCA registration (number 472919) for insurance mediation, ICO data controller registration (Z6407527), and is regulated by the Institute of Paralegals. Its marketing channels include BBC broadcast exposure (Heir Hunters since 2007, Morning Live in 2024), the Probate TV 'Lineage' YouTube series (2024), regular industry webinars, and a proprietary digital magazine, Trace.

Name

Fraser and Fraser

Legal name

Fraser and Fraser

Website

https://fraserandfraser.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1930

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Fraser and Fraser is a London-headquartered probate genealogy firm tracing missing beneficiaries and next-of-kin for unclaimed estates. It serves UK solicitors, local authorities, and directly contacted beneficiaries, with international offices supporting cross-border estate administration.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Probate Genealogy and Heir Tracing Services

NAICS

Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (525920)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Estate Administration & Probate Services (FSAAANAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Estate & Probate Administration Services (FSAEAKAD)

Keywords

• Probate genealogy services
• Heir tracing research
• Missing beneficiary tracing
• Next-of-kin searches
• Intestate estate research

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Beneficiary Contingency Fees: Fee is paid through agreement with traced beneficiaries once estate is distributed. The fee is a share of the beneficiary's entitlement, typically between 5-25%. Known heirs are protected from paying to find unknown beneficiaries.
2. Finder's Fee Contingency: When formally instructed to find unknown heirs in addition to those already identified, fee is paid through agreement with Personal Representative or Executor as a share of entitlement of any heirs identified.
3. Fixed Fee Research: Fee agreed according to perceived difficulty of research required based on information provided by client.
4. Time Spent Research: Research offered on time spent basis, allowing costs to be monitored by the estate and helping cut costs when information is already known.
5. Service Fees: Various fixed-fee services including Asset Search (£500+VAT), Medallion Signature Guarantee (from £295), Share Valuations, Probate Property Services, and Certificate Ordering.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Fraser and Fraser is a London-based partnership of professional genealogists and international probate researchers that traces missing beneficiaries and next-of-kin for intestate estates, supports local authorities with free next-of-kin tracing, and provides asset searches, valuations, certificate ordering, Medallion Signature Guarantee stamping, will searches and probate property services. The firm operates on contingency, fixed-fee and time-spent models, with an online Client Zone portal for case management and an international network enabling cross-border research.

Product overview

Fraser and Fraser is a probate genealogy firm offering a comprehensive suite of research and administrative services for estate resolution. The core offering consists of probate research services (tracing missing beneficiaries), public sector services (free next-of-kin tracing for local authorities), and the Client Zone platform for case management. The portfolio includes specialized add-on modules covering insurance (Missing Beneficiary Insurance), property services (Probate Property Service), international services (Medallion Signature Guarantee, Overseas Estate Services), document services (Certificate Ordering, Will Search), and asset services (Asset Search, Share Valuations). The business also provides administrator search services and public health funeral guarantees for government clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lineage: A YouTube series by Probate TV showcasing international probate research and the work of Fraser and Fraser in uncovering hidden inheritances and reuniting families with their rightful inheritance.

Products and services

• Probate Research Services Specialist probate research services tracing missing beneficiaries and heirs to unclaimed estates, assets, and derelict properties for solicitors, executors and administrators in both testate and intestate cases.
• Public Sector Services Free-of-charge next-of-kin tracing and asset search services for local authorities, government departments, Empty Homes Officers and Funeral Services in the UK.
• Client Zone Online platform for new and existing clients to complete agreements and questionnaires, and for registered heirs to receive case updates.
• Missing Beneficiary Insurance Specialized indemnity insurance protection for executors, administrators and beneficiaries against claims from unknown or untraced heirs after estate distribution.
• Certificate Ordering Service Service that obtains UK and overseas certificates and documents including birth, marriage, death and adoption certificates, Wills, Grants of Representation, and Decree Absolute.
• Nil Rate Band Check Service to establish transferability of unused inheritance tax allowance from a deceased spouse or civil partner under Finance Act 2008.
• Probate Property Service Property management for estates including probate valuations, empty property insurance, property management and security, probate sales, and Energy Performance Certificates.
• Asset Search Services Search for lost or unknown assets in Britain including dormant bank accounts, building society accounts and stocks/shares, supporting IHT compliance under the 2009 Penalty Scheme.
• Medallion Signature Guarantee Certification service for transferring or selling North American securities, guaranteeing signature authenticity and legal authority for US/Canadian stock transfers with a transaction stamping limit of US$1,000,000.
• Share Valuations Share valuation services for Inheritance Tax compliance, including checking whether holdings exist.
• International Bankruptcy Search Cross-border bankruptcy searches with ID verification to comply with Law Society Due Diligence Regulation under the Money Laundering Regulations Act 2007.
• Overseas Estate Services Assistance with overseas assets, locating English-speaking lawyers, resealing Grants of Probate, and estate administration for properties across multiple countries.
• Public Health Funeral Guarantee Service enabling Local Authorities to mitigate funeral costs under s.46 Public Health (Control of Diseases) Act 1984 by identifying next-of-kin or providing grants for dignified funerals.
• Administrator Search Service Risk-free service to locate potential next-of-kin to serve as personal representatives for intestate estates before referring to government authorities.
• Will Search Service Search for registered and unregistered wills including Probate Registry checks, Certainty Will Search and contact with Will Writers.
• Appointeeship and Deputyship Services Next-of-kin identification and location services for Local Authority appointees and deputies managing finances for persons with impaired capacity.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90%+ success rate in locating administrators who choose to collaborate
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• The Property Ladder Group (PLG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking partnership for probate property services. PLG provides professional assistance with property sales ensuring efficient and compliant service across the UK, specialising in Probate and Court of Protection matters. Partner Andrew Fraser, a Chartered Surveyor, oversees all probate property management cases.
• ZurichsupportingOthersInsurance partner for Missing Beneficiary Insurance, providing quotes for ultimate protection to executors, administrators and beneficiaries against claims from unknown family members after estate distribution.
• Isis ConveyancingsupportingOthersInsurance partner for Missing Beneficiary Insurance products, working with multiple insurers to obtain competitive pricing for clients.
• STAMP (Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program)coreTechnology or IntegrationCertified guarantor of official STAMP program. Transaction stamping limit of US$1,000,000 enables provision of Medallion Signature Guarantee stamps for transferring/selling North American securities.
• TransUnionsupportingTechnology or IntegrationCredit reference agency providing tracing services including credit risk, affordability checking, fraud prevention, anti-money laundering, and identity verification.
• ExperiansupportingTechnology or IntegrationData services partner for identity verification, fraud prevention, and tracing services supporting probate research activities.
• LexisNexissupportingTechnology or IntegrationRisk management partner providing identity checking, AML compliance, fraud investigation, and individual tracing for legally necessary purposes.
• EquifaxsupportingTechnology or IntegrationCredit data partner for identity verification, age/residency verification, fraud detection, and debt recovery in estate administration.
• GB Group PlcsupportingTechnology or IntegrationIdentity verification and fraud prevention services partner, aiding KYC and AML compliance for client onboarding.
• FindMyPastsupportingTechnology or IntegrationGenealogy service partner providing record matching, family tree building, and historical records access to support probate research.
• AncestrysupportingTechnology or IntegrationGenealogical services partner providing family tree building, historical record access, and DNA analysis to support probate research.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Cousins Research: Boutique UK probate genealogy firm offering missing-heir tracing and family-tree research. Smaller than Fraser and Fraser but directly comparable in core service offering and target customer segment of solicitors and executors.
• Genealogists.co.uk: UK professional genealogy firm offering probate research, heir-tracing and family-history services. Comparable to Fraser and Fraser in service mix and customer base, with emphasis on research-driven casework.
• Bradford Research: UK probate research firm tracing missing heirs and beneficiaries for solicitors and executors. Comparable to Fraser and Fraser in service offering, contingency fee structure and target market.
• Anglia Research: Long-established UK probate genealogy firm offering heir-tracing, asset search and document retrieval services. Competes head-to-head with Fraser and Fraser for intestacy cases from solicitors and local authorities across England and Wales.
• Finders International: UK probate genealogist and heir-tracing firm directly competing with Fraser and Fraser for solicitor and local authority referrals. Offers similar beneficiary-finding, asset search, and public sector services, and is widely recognised as one of the few firms of comparable scale in the UK market. <parameter name="peer_description">UK probate genealogist and heir-tracing firm directly competing with Fraser and Fraser for solicitor and local authority referrals. Offers similar beneficiary-finding, asset search, and public sector services, and is widely recognised as one of the few firms of comparable scale in the UK market.
• Probate Research Ltd: Specialist probate genealogy firm offering heir-tracing, will searches and estate research services to the legal profession in the UK. Directly comparable in scope, customer type and pricing model to Fraser and Fraser.
• Hoopers International Probate Researchers: UK probate research firm specialising in missing-beneficiary tracing, international estate research, and asset searches. Closely comparable to Fraser and Fraser in service mix and target client base of solicitors and public sector bodies.

Emerging players

• Findmysearch Limited: Smaller UK probate and heir-tracing firm offering next-of-kin research and asset search services. Overlaps with Fraser and Fraser on core service delivery but operates at a smaller scale and narrower geographic footprint.

Regional players

• International Probate Research: US-headquartered international probate genealogy firm offering heir-tracing and estate research across multiple jurisdictions. Comparable to Fraser and Fraser's international desk but primarily serves North American clients and estates.

Broad incumbents

• Title Research: Established UK provider of legal search, probate, and conveyancing services including missing-beneficiary tracing and asset recovery. Operates a broader portfolio of property and legal data services than Fraser and Fraser but overlaps directly in probate research.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ProbateTV
• Facebookfacebook.com/fraserandfraser1923
• Xx.com/HeirHunter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fraserandfraser

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fraser and Fraser