Uniting Across Borders: A Success Story in Locating a Beneficiary in Japan

Challenging Case

When an attorney’s client passed away, the decedent left behind a brother known to reside in Japan. Despite multiple attempts over the years, locating this brother, who was a named beneficiary in the will and a natural citizen of Japan, proved to be a difficult task for the law firm. The brother’s presence was now crucial for the legal proceedings, and if he was found to be deceased, his descendants would need to be located. With limited information, including the last known address, the challenge was set. We did have the spelling of the name in Japanese characters, which is important in a search in this country.

Leveraging International Resources

Understanding the importance of this task, we turned to our network of international resources to assist us in the search. According to Japanese law, residents are required to report a new address to the municipal office within fourteen days of a move. Utilizing this information, we conducted thorough searches of real property owner databases, and eventually was able to identifying a potential recent address for the Subject.

Making Contact

Our international search did not stop there. We mailed correspondence to the newly found address and were able to arrange an in-person meeting with the Subject. During this visit, our researcher also conducted interviews with the Subject’s friend and subsequent personal representative, who had known the Subject for a long time and attested to the Subject’s relationship with the decedent. Due to the brother’s advanced age and inability to communicate directly, the personal representative became our primary point of contact.

Ensuring Continued Communication

The personal representative confirmed the Subject’s current address and provided two telephone numbers for future communications. This vital information ensured that all necessary legal processes could proceed without further delay.

Conclusion

The client’s satisfaction was evident in their testimonial: “Very timely work done locating an heir in another country! I’ve never needed HeirSearch’s assistance before, but for this job, it was fantastic!”

This success story highlights the effectiveness of our international resources in overcoming challenging circumstances to locate a crucial beneficiary. Our dedication and strategic approach ensured that the client’s needs were met promptly and professionally.

If you are an attorney faced with a complex international case, HeirSearch can help! Our researchers and international resources identify and locate missing or unknown heirs for probate, and we do so efficiently. We work exclusively with executors, administrators, trustees, fiduciaries, bank and trust officers, and their counsel to establish kinship for legal purposes. With our search services, we can help ensure an heir is located and not be a contributing factor to a prolonged estate distribution process.

We offer no-cost, no-obligation consultations, even if you are not planning to start a search right away. Feel free to reach out with any questions you might have — we look forward to connecting!

Contact us today or request a quote.

Phone: +1 (800)-663-2255

Disclaimer: Although accurate in scope, all identifying information such as names, dates and locations have been changed in order to protect the privacy of individuals.
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