47 BRANCH OFFICES WORLDWIDE
1st European probate research company
More than 130 years of experience
PROBATE RESEARCH
Coutot-Roehrig is the largest probate research company in Europe
Coutot-Roehrig is the largest probate research company in Europe specialized in the identification and location of rightful heirs worldwide since 1894.
As probate researchers, we are legally appointed to proceed with the settlement of estates. Our task is to identify and locate heirs, and establish their entitlement all along the probate process.
With more than 120 years old experience and our strong network, we have built an empire of 46 branch offices all around the world. We work with the best professionals and experts in legal probate and research departments. They have access to our unique database of digitized archives covering more than 1 billion data.
We deal on a yearly basis with more than 5000 estates settled in France and abroad.
Find all the answers to your questions
You may wonder why you have been contacted by one of our probate researchers. Our FAQs sheet will provide you with all the answers.
Please do not hesitate to contact us for any additional information you may require.
How an estate is settled in France
Beginning of the probate process
Under French law, the notaire is in charge of the estate settlement. The notaire is appointed by the Minister of Justice and entrusted by the State with mission of public service.
Mandate in favour of the probate researcher
The notaire may refer to our company in order to identify and locate the heirs of the deceased pursuant to Article 36 of the law 2006-728 of June 23, 2006.
Searching for and legally representing heirs
Our company will make exhaustive searches that can take time to be completed. International cases can make an impact on the processing time of the file. At times, duration remains unpredictable.
Establishing evidence of heir’s legal entitlement to the inheritance
Once we have collected the required paperwork, we can transfer to the notaire in charge of the settlement who will draw up the deed of notoriety.
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Settlement process of the estate
The French notaire acts in the best interest of the heirs dealing with the administrative part of the estate and paying any bills due.
Submission of the declaration of inheritance
The submission of the declaration of inheritance lists all the elements of the estate. It is compulsory and sent to the tax authorities to get the amount of the inheritance taxes due to the French State.
Potential property sale
For any real estate to be distributed, we get estimates from experts in order to sell to the best value for the heirs, and upon their agreement.
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Distributing the shares
The heir receives a net share once inheritance taxes and our fees are taken out.
