What Hoopers does

Hoopers is a UK probate genealogy firm founded in 1923 by Alfred Hooper and operating from Holborn, London, as a subsidiary of Edwin Coe LLP since August 2025. The firm traces next of kin and identifies beneficiaries for intestate estates (estates where the deceased left no will), serving three primary customer segments: the legal profession (UK solicitors and SRA-regulated firms), the UK public sector (Local Authorities, Coroners, and NHS Trusts), and individual beneficiaries of unclaimed estates. Across its 100+ year history the firm has been based continuously in and around the City of London, conducting business under the trade names Alfred Hooper, George B Hooper, and since 1997 Hoopers.

The firm's core technology and capability is human-led forensic genealogy research, drawing on UK Census data (1841-1921 and beyond), international birth, marriage, and death certificates, wills, and other legal records to construct documented family trees. Notable operational features include a nationwide network of Enhanced DBS-checked, bereavement-trained Regional Managers who visit clients in person, multilingual website content across 9 languages, ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 certifications, ICO registration, GDPR compliance, and APSE Approved Partner status. Hoopers explicitly does not administer estates internally, instead routing estate administration to a panel of independent, SRA-regulated solicitors to avoid conflicts of interest — a structural design choice that distinguishes its governance posture from vertically integrated competitors.

The business model operates on three pricing rails: (1) a contingency fee under which beneficiaries pay only a percentage of what they actually receive ("no inheritance, no charge"); (2) set-fee engagements within agreed budgets for solicitors and public sector clients; and (3) time-based hourly engagements, payable regardless of outcome. Local Authorities are never charged directly — Hoopers is compensated via commission arrangements with beneficiaries. Go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer beneficiary outreach (letters and Regional Manager follow-up), enterprise field sales to solicitors and public sector bodies with free administrator searches and SLAs, and an indirect solicitor panel referral network. Recorded outcomes include a 95% case-success rate as cited by Local Authorities, beneficiaries generally located within 48 hours, and an estate administration timeline averaging approximately one year.

Name

Hoopers

Legal name

G B Hooper & Son Limited

Website

https://hoopers.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1923

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hoopers is a UK probate genealogy firm tracing next-of-kin for intestate estates, serving solicitors, public sector bodies (Local Authorities, Coroners, NHS Trusts), and individual beneficiaries via contingency, set-fee, and time-based engagements since 1923.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Probate Genealogy Services

NAICS

Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (525920)

akta.pro primary industry

Estate & Probate Administration Services (FSAEAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law (BPAHAAAK), Personal Trust & Fiduciary Administration (FSAEAKAA), Estate Administration & Probate Services (FSAAANAE)

Keywords

• Probate genealogy services
• Beneficiary tracing
• Estate administration
• Family tree verification
• Heir tracing research

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Contingency Fee (Success-based Commission): Hoopers traces potential beneficiaries at their own risk and expense and receives a percentage of the beneficiary's entitlement upon successful distribution of the estate. If unsuccessful, no charge is made. This is the primary model for serving beneficiaries directly.
2. Set Fee / Fixed Fee: Research undertaken at a predetermined fixed rate within an agreed budget (exclusive of disbursements and VAT), providing regular progress reports, a full final report, and assistance obtaining Missing Beneficiary Indemnity Policies if required.
3. Time-based / Hourly Rate Fee: Investigation on a time basis at a reasonable agreed rate, payable regardless of outcome. Subject to rigorous cost controls and regular case reports to keep expenses under control.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hoopers is a probate genealogy firm that traces next of kin and identifies legitimate beneficiaries of intestate estates worldwide. It serves three primary client segments — the legal profession (solicitors), UK public sector bodies (local authorities, coroners, NHS trusts), and individual beneficiaries — using historical records, census data, and forensic genealogy techniques. It also provides ancillary services such as Missing Beneficiary Indemnity Policies, worldwide document searches, will searches, and missing will insurance.

Product overview

Hoopers offers a unified probate genealogy service with three main client segments: Legal Sector (solicitors), Public Sector (local authorities, coroners, NHS trusts), and Beneficiaries (potential heirs). The core product is beneficiary tracing and next of kin identification for intestate estates. Fee structures include Set Fee, Contingency, and Time-based options. Additional services include free administrator searches, Missing Beneficiary Indemnity Policies, document searches, will searches, and regional manager visits. The company operates from London with a nationwide network of regional managers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Probate Genealogy Services (Beneficiary Tracing) Core service tracing next of kin and identifying legitimate beneficiaries for intestate estates, locating heirs worldwide from minimal details using historical records, census data, and forensic genealogy. Serves solicitors, local authorities, coroners, NHS Trusts, and individual beneficiaries.
• Missing Beneficiary Indemnity Policies Insurance policies obtained following beneficiary investigation to protect estate administrators against potential future claims after estate distribution.
• Will Search and Missing Will Insurance Worldwide searches for wills and related legal documents, paired with insurance coverage for missing wills to support estate administration.
• Worldwide Document Searches Worldwide searches for birth, marriage, and death certificates, as well as wills and other legal documents to verify family relationships and support estate administration.
• Public Sector Services Bespoke service bundle for local authorities, coroners, and NHS trusts covering next of kin tracing, estate administration, property checks, funeral arrangements under Section 46 Public Health Act, and recovery of local authority expenses.
• Legal Sector Services Bespoke service bundle for solicitors including beneficiary tracing, free administrator searches, Missing Beneficiary Indemnity Policies, document searches, Court of Protection family tree work, and estate administration guidance.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% of cases referred to genealogists result in successful tracing of a family member (per Local Authority data)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerHoopers has maintained a long-standing sponsorship relationship with CILEx since at least 2015, co-sponsoring the CILEx Graduate of the Year programme and the CILEx National Awards (including the Lawyers in Local Government Awards). CEO Kevin Edmondson and Chairman Mike Tringham have presented awards at CILEx events.
• Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHoopers is an APSE Approved Partner. APSE is a not-for-profit local government body working with over 300 councils throughout the UK to promote excellence in public services. The partnership validates Hoopers' standing as a reputable genealogy provider for public sector bodies.
• Association of Professional Genealogists (APG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHoopers is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, an international organisation dedicated to supporting those engaged in the business of genealogy through advocacy, collaboration, education, and the promotion of high ethical standards.
• Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHoopers holds membership with the ICCM, reflecting their involvement in the cemetery and crematorium sector through their work tracing next of kin for public health funerals and related matters.
• British Assessment BureaucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe British Assessment Bureau awarded Hoopers ISO 9001 (Registration Number 212364) and ISO 27001 (Registration Number 212449) certifications. The Bureau is used to verify the validity of these certificates.
• Edwin Coe LLPcoreOthersIn August 2025, Hoopers was acquired by Edwin Coe LLP. The company notes it is not an authorised business regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Anglia Research: Long-established UK probate research and heir-tracing firm offering family tree verification, document retrieval and Missing Beneficiary Indemnity Policies — a direct overlap with Hoopers' core service set.
• Finders International: One of the UK's largest probate genealogy and heir-tracing firms, directly competing with Hoopers in tracing beneficiaries for intestate estates for solicitors, local authorities and private clients.
• Today Publications (Probate Genealogy arm): UK probate genealogy and heir-tracing provider serving legal professionals and public sector clients, competing head-to-head with Hoopers for intestate case flow.
• Fraser & Fraser: UK probate genealogy firm serving solicitors, executors and beneficiaries, directly comparable to Hoopers in beneficiary tracing, international research and intestacy case work.
• Title Research: UK genealogy and asset reunification specialist providing heir tracing, will searches and missing beneficiary indemnity services to legal and financial professionals — directly competitive with Hoopers.
• DC Research / Heir Hunters: UK heir-tracing firm featured on the BBC Heir Hunters programme — directly comparable to Hoopers in beneficiary tracing, public-sector commissions and televised brand presence.

Broad incumbents

• MyHeritage: International genealogy and DNA testing platform providing family-tree building and historical record access — adjacent to Hoopers' probate genealogy workflow through its research-grade data assets.
• Ancestry: Global consumer genealogy platform with the largest historical records database and DNA network. While not a probate service, its records and family-tree tools overlap with Hoopers' research inputs.

Others

• Edwin Coe LLP: UK full-service law firm that acquired Hoopers in August 2025; included as the parent entity rather than a competitor — relevant as the controlling owner of the subject company.

Emerging players

• DNA Bioservices: UK provider of DNA testing for genealogical and forensic applications, increasingly used alongside traditional probate research. Comparable as an emerging alternative input method for heir-tracing cases.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Hoopers1923
• Facebookfacebook.com/hoopersgenealogists1923

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Hoopers