Genealogical Research

Somerswood International Probate Lawyers provides a unique service in tracing beneficiaries and relatives in Europe of unclaimed deceased estates in Australia.

Finding the beneficiaries of unclaimed deceased estates can be the best news a surviving relative can get. The estate can then be divided amongst the deceased’s relatives. For many people it can be a life-changing event.

We have been involved in international genealogical searching for approximately 20 years. We are proud of our record of solving even the most difficult cases referred to us.

Our skills and resources include:

• Fluency in or comprehension of a range of languages;
• Familiarity with regional histories;
• The ability to identify first names and family names and their likely variations within shifting borders;
• Access to detailed and historical maps and other resources and, of course, a network of reliable and effective international agents.

We have conducted genealogical research in the following countries-Albania, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine.

We are well experienced in the requirements for the legalisation of foreign documents under the Hague Convention of 1961 and its application in Australia.

We also regularly prepare Lithuanian and other central and eastern European legal documents such as powers of attorney. Somerswood International Probate Lawyers has an extensive network of agent lawyers in central and eastern Europe who are able to prepare a wide variety of legal documents for use in their country within a short space of time.