Heir Tracers | Inheritance Investigations by Aaden Detective Agency Hamburg

Inheritance Investigations in Germany

Many email spam folders are full of them: messages from complete strangers claiming that the recipient is the heir to a “million-euro estate” supposedly left by a distant uncle in Uganda or a wealthy, childless billionaire who has “randomly” selected them as beneficiary. This scheme is designed to extract “processing fees” and supposed inheritance shares amounting to thousands of euros from unsuspecting recipients. In reality, neither the inheritance nor the sender exists. In contrast, Aaden Detective Agency Hamburg conducts genuine inheritance investigations, which generally fall into two basic scenarios:

 

• The rightful heir is unknown and must be identified through genealogical research, with their entitlement verified.
• The rightful heir is known but has moved without trace, so their current whereabouts must be established.

 

If no eligible heir is known to the probate court, the state inherits the estate under fiscal succession laws. As a result, the actual heirs—unaware of their entitlement—receive nothing. This highlights the importance of professional heir tracing in Germany, as without it, thousands of inheritances would go unclaimed each year.

 

If you wish to engage us as estate administrators to locate rightful heirs, you can confidently contact Aaden Corporate Investigations, operating throughout Germany and worldwide. We are also happy to assist if you believe you are entitled to an inheritance and require legally admissible proof: +49 40 4223 6960.

Who Commissions Heir Tracers?

With few exceptions, our Hamburg-based genealogists are engaged by two main types of clients. Firstly, private individuals who wish to locate relatives during their lifetime, share an inheritance with an overlooked sibling, or obtain legally valid proof of their entitlement.

 

Secondly, we work for estate administrators appointed under Section 1960 BGB by probate courts to manage estates until heirs are found or proceedings are closed. Our role is particularly critical when an application for a certificate of inheritance has been filed but the line of succession cannot be clearly proven. In such cases, additional heirs are sought through a public notice procedure under Section 352d FamFG. Our primary task is to locate heirs within the legally prescribed timeframe—at least six weeks—because after this period, a claimant may inherit even without definitive proof of succession. In the worst case, a fraudster could inherit assets to which they are not entitled.

Costs of Heir Tracing | Remuneration

As compensation for successful heir tracing, our Hamburg private detective agency generally does not charge standard hourly rates but instead a customary, court-approved percentage of the inheritance. The exact terms depend on the individual case and are agreed upon in advance. Typically, the heirs bear the costs. The advantage: they only pay once they have actually received the inheritance. For us, however, there is always the risk that no heir can be identified and that our work remains unpaid.

 

The line of succession can be determined through genealogical investigations, while address tracing is one of the standard services provided by Aaden detectives in Hamburg. In some cases, these investigations even lead to family reunifications—for example, when a long-lost relative is located.

Verification of Heirs by Aaden Detective Agency Hamburg

Inheritance investigations essentially consist of two steps:

 

• locating known or previously unknown heirs,
• verifying the entitlement of those heirs.

 

However, the second step can also occur independently—for example, when a person claims inheritance rights that are disputed by other heirs or the estate administrator. In such cases, our heir tracers may be commissioned by either the claimant or the party raising doubts. These situations often arise when heirs have had no contact with the family for many years or are entirely unknown, leading other parties to fear fraud. Some inheritance fraudsters attempt to gain legitimacy through falsified documents or false statements. Our experience enables us to uncover the necessary evidence to confirm legitimacy or expose fraudulent claims. Typical genealogical proof includes birth, death and marriage certificates, as well as archival records such as family trees.

 

As a potentially affected party, you should act quickly to gather sufficient evidence before the estate is distributed. Once assets have been paid out, professional fraudsters will not hesitate to transfer money and valuables to unknown locations, making later legal recovery extremely difficult. Our Hamburg heir detectives act promptly and discreetly.

Germany-wide and International Network of Aaden

Thanks to the strong network of Aaden Corporate Investigations, with offices in eight major German cities across seven federal states—from Munich to Berlin and from Leipzig to Cologne—we are able to carry out short-notice checks at residential addresses, local archives and authorities regardless of location. This flexibility ensures that new leads can be pursued immediately in other regions. While many detective agencies face delays and additional costs due to travel, our Hamburg investigators simply brief colleagues at other locations to continue the search without delay or extra expense.

 

As a professional corporate investigations agency, Aaden also benefits from a well-maintained network of informants both domestically and internationally, contributing to our high success rate. Where required, we also assist located heirs in preparing and certifying applications for a certificate of inheritance, saving considerable time and effort for all parties involved.

Searching for Heirs and Verifying Entitlement

Whether you are a private individual or an estate administrator searching for rightful heirs, you can contact Aaden Detective Agency Hamburg at any time for a free consultation. We will advise you by phone or in person regarding possible approaches, success prospects and fees. Through research in civil registry offices, municipal authorities and other institutions, as well as online and offline investigations in genealogical records and social networks, and through interviews with relatives, acquaintances, neighbours and colleagues, we strive to deliver legally admissible results.

 

You can reach us during business hours (Monday to Friday, 08:00–19:00) at the following number: +49 40 4223 6960.

Aaden Corporate Detective Agency Hamburg

Contor Center Hamburg

Katharinenstraße 30a

D-20457 Hamburg 

Tel.: +49 40 4223 6960

E-Mail: info@aaden-detektive-hamburg.de

Web: https://aaden-detektive-hamburg.de/en

 

CEO: Maya Grünschloß, PhD

Register Court: Amtsgericht Köln

Registration Number: HRB 83824