An international partner
For more than 35 years, ADD Associés has supported legal professionals, fiduciaries and institutions with complex international inheritance matters. Combining probate genealogy expertise, global research capabilities and local knowledge, we help identify heirs, verify family relationships and resolve cross-border estate cases worldwide.
Global Families. Complex Estates.
Tracing heirs has become significantly more complex over the past decades as families, assets and records are now increasingly spread across multiple countries and jurisdictions.
Modern family structures have evolved considerably. International marriages have doubled over the last thirty years, while nearly 65% of children are now born outside marriage in many jurisdictions. At the same time, individuals may change identity, nationality, marital status or gender during their lifetime, creating additional layers of complexity for inheritance investigations.
As a result, identifying the rightful heirs of an estate, life insurance policy or vacant property often requires extensive international research combining genealogical expertise, legal understanding and access to records across several countries.
For legal professionals, fiduciaries and institutions, these situations frequently involve missing or unknown heirs, cross-border family structures, fragmented archives and significant administrative, legal and language barriers. Accessing reliable civil records may also prove difficult depending on local regulations and archival systems.
Successfully resolving these complex inheritance matters requires more than traditional genealogical research.It demands an international partner with proven probate genealogy expertise, strong local networks and the operational capacity to conduct coordinated investigations worldwide.
How we support your international inheritance cases
ADD Group supports legal professionals, fiduciaries and institutions worldwide at every stage of the research process.
We deliver a comprehensive range of probate genalogy services:
- Heir tracing and identification: locating unknown or missing heirs worldwide
- Genealogical verification: establishing accurate and legally reliable family trees
- Missing beneficiary searches
- International record retrieval: accessing civil records and archives across jurisdictions
- Complex estate investigations
- Support and representation of heirs
Our mission is clear: to identify every rightful heir and enable them to claim their rights.
Need support with an international inheritance case? Contact Isia Front to discuss your situation.
A single point of contact for all international enquiries
Whether you are handling a complex estate or searching for missing heirs abroad, ADD Group provides reliable, efficient and fully integrated international support.
You benefit from a single point of contact for all international enquiries.
Based in Paris, Isia Front is your point of entry for all international enquiries.
She assesses each situation and mobilizes the most relevant expertise across our network to deliver a tailored and effective approach. Depending on the case, she remains your primary contact or connects you with the most appropriate expert within our international network.
Why international professionals rely on ADD
We combine deep genealogical expertise, international reach and advanced technology to resolve complex inheritance cases worldwide.
Global reach, local execution, seamless delivery
International estate cases require the ability to investigate, across borders, quickly and reliably. ADD Group combines a strong operational base with a fully integrated international capability.
An integrated international team working in 17 languages (German, English, Spanish, Galician, French, Italian, Greek, Moldavian, Portuguese, Persian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, and Serbo-Croatian) coordinates cross-border investigations worldwide.
Combining local expertise, international coordination and shared methodologies, our teams deliver consistent and reliable results across jurisdictions.
ADD Group in numbers
International Recognition
Our experience is recognized by many foreign clients (lawyers, administrators, specialists in escheated property or accounts, etc.) as well as by our foreign colleagues on every continent, who subcontract their searches to our teams. Today, legal professionals, fiduciaries and probate researchers around the world rely on ADD Group to conduct complex heir tracing and international probate research assignments across multiple jurisdictions.
ADD Associés was awarded Best International Probate Research Firm of the Year at the Probate Industry Awards 2025.
This international distinction recognises the expertise of the ADD Group in probate genealogy, and more specifically its ability to conduct complex investigations in an international context. It highlights the collective work of our teams, the global structuring of our organisation, as well as the human and technological resources deployed in the service of our partners and clients.
ADD Group is also featured in TF1’s documentary series “Grands Reportages: Héritiers Inconnus”, now entering its fifth season and reaching more than 3 million viewers per episode.
This long-standing collaboration reflects the recognition of our expertise and highlights the complexity and human dimension of probate genealogy to a wide audience.
Together, these distinctions provide additional reassurance to legal professionals and institutions who rely on ADD Group for complex international inheritance matters.
Looking for a trusted partner for an international case?
Technology enhancing
speed, accuracy and performance
We are at the forefront of innovation in probate genealogy, leveraging advanced proprietary tools and data capabilities to enhance performance at every stage of the research process.
Our technology enables us to:
- Accelerate investigations
- Improve accuracy and data consistency
- Structure and analyze complex genealogical information
- Streamline workflows and case resolution
- Reduce risk and uncertainty
By combining human expertise with cutting-edge technology, ADD Group delivers faster, more reliable and fully controlled investigations across complex international cases.
A commitment to ethics and quality
Because matters of succession and inheritance are both complicated and sensitive, trust and integrity are at the core of our approach. As members of leading professional organisations such as Généalogistes de France and the IAPPR, ADD Group operates according to strict ethical commitments designed to protect both clients and heirs throughout the research process.
Our commitments include:
- Secure management of client funds through dedicated third-party accounts held at the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations, ensuring full separation from the Group’s operating accounts
- Comprehensive professional liability insurance coverage (MMA IARD No.127120688)
- Dedicated financial guarantee protection provided by AMLIN INSURANCE SE (No. 2018PFC002)
- Internal quality control procedures and operational standards exceeding common industry practices
- ISO 9001 certification since 2008, reflecting our long-standing commitment to quality management, reliability and continuous improvement
These safeguards provide legal professionals, fiduciaries and institutions with the confidence that all investigations are conducted according to the highest professional and ethical standards.
Let’s discuss your international inheritance case
Whether you are dealing with a complex international estate, missing heirs or cross-border inheritance issues, our teams are ready to support you with reliable, efficient and tailored solutions.