Who is ADD Associés ?
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Le groupe ADD Associés, la référence de la généalogie successorale
Founded in Paris in 1990 with the aim of revitalizing the probate genealogy market by investing heavily in people, international expansion, legal expertise and new technologies. The ADD Associés group is now one of the world’s leading players in the sector.
- More than 160 experts with a passion for probate genealogy and heir tracing,
- 27 offices in France,
- Offices in Germany, Spain, Poland, Morocco and Vietnam,
- An integrated international team capable of carrying out investigations and locating rightful claimants anywhere in the world within extremely short timescales.
We want to continue to embody the new generation of the profession, and are doing everything in our power to enable the professionals who place their trust in us to obtain some of the most reliable and rapid results on the market, and to enable heirs around the world to assert their rights.
Our raison d’être
For us, finding an heir is much more than a question of inheritance, it’s also a question of law, fairness, taking into account the human element and understanding society in all its changes.
That’s why we accept all heir search files, regardless of the amount of assets involved or the difficulty of the genealogical research.
We’re ready to go to the ends of the earth to find an heir and assert his rights. Each time the ADD Associés teams find a person, a family history is reconstituted, and a relative finds or rediscovers his or her place in it.
Our commitment to efficiency and quality
We are committed to using the best human and technological resources to provide you with more efficient genealogical research, a high level of interpersonal skills and, ultimately, the shortest possible lead times.
Expertise and rigor
- More than 160 enthusiasts
- Expert, complementary profiles: probate genealogists, legal researchers, historians, parentage experts and experts in international archives
- Legal and inheritance tax skills.
Proximity and speed
- 27 offices in France and 6 abroad
- A single, dedicated contact to support you from A to Z
- Thanks to our integrated international research team of multilingual experts and our network of correspondents, we are able to carry out genealogical research and find heirs rapidly on 5 continents.
Operational excellence and technological innovation
- ADD Data: exclusive genealogical database with over 500 million digitized and indexed records
- Dematerialized genealogical chart (TGD)
- Electronic signature of documents
- ISO 9001-certified methods since 2008
Our fees
Our fees are calculated in two different ways, depending on the services offered. They are specified in advance, guaranteeing clarity and transparency.
Proportional fees
Proportional fees are calculated on the basis of a percentage of the heir’s share. This type of fee is provided for in the disclosure contract or the contract in proof of rights signed by the heirs, in which a precise rate is indicated. Since 1866, case law has validated the disclosure contract submitted by the probate genealogist to the heirs. The proportional fee varies according to the degree of kinship and the share to be collected.
Proportional fees apply when :
- The research undertaken led to the disclosure of his rights to an heir or beneficiary of rights,
- The investigations carried out made it possible to justify the inheritance rights of an heir or beneficiary.
Flat-rate fees
The term “flat-rate fee” is used when the remuneration for the services provided by the genealogist is fixed on a flat-rate basis according to the difficulty and importance of the investigations undertaken. The value of the estate assets is also taken into account.
Flat-rate fees apply when genealogical research has confirmed and validated the devolution of an estate to known heirs.
Ethics, guarantees and certification: pillars of our DNA
Parce que les sujets de succession et d’héritage sont à la fois complexes et sensibles, ADD Associés place la confiance et l’éthique au cœur de sa démarche.
- We play an active role in the bodies that regulate our profession, which is governed by a code of ethics and a code of conduct.
- We provide high levels of guarantees that exceed industry standards.
- Our working methods are certified by trusted third parties.
Estate genealogy, a regulated profession
Our probate genealogy business is governed by article 36 of law no. 2006-728 of June 23, 2006 – the law reforming inheritance and gifts.
“Hormis le cas des successions soumises au régime de la vacance ou de la déshérence, nul ne peut se livrer ou prêter son concours à la recherche d’héritier dans une succession ouverte ou dont un actif a été omis lors du règlement de la succession s’il n’est porteur d’un mandat donné à cette fin. Le mandat peut être donné par toute personne qui a un intérêt direct et légitime à l’identification des héritiers ou au règlement de la succession.”
The partners and associates of ADD Associés hold a professional card and benefit from specific authorizations issued by the Service Interministériel des Archives de France and the Procureur de la République of the Tribunal Judiciaire de Paris. These authorizations allow us to consult and obtain a copy of the civil status of people under 75 years of age.
Strong guarantees for our partners and customers
When a genealogist intervenes to certify the devolution of an estate, he or she assumes legal and financial responsibility by providing the liquidating notary with a certified table attesting to the devolution of the estate, or an attestation setting out our conclusions. Members of the Chambre syndicale des Généalogistes de France take out professional liability insurance.
ADD Associés has supplemented these systems with additional guarantees that provide essential protection for you, whether you are a professional or an heir.
- Professional Liability Insurance (MMA IARD N°…)
- Financial guarantee (with AMLIN INSURANCE SE N°)
- A third-party account with the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations
- Annual independent audit by KPMG
- Iso 9001 certification since December 17, 2008.
Ethics at the heart of our business
ADD Associés makes a major contribution to making probate genealogy a profession that offers every guarantee to those who call on our services.
Since its creation, ADD Associés has made a major contribution to the regulation and supervision of the profession, in particular under the leadership of Antoine Djikpa, partner and now Managing Director of the group. He was also elected Honorary President of Généalogistes de France, and Antoine Delabre is currently Vice-President.
Given the international stakes of the profession, ADD Associés was also one of the founding members of the international association IAPPR (The International Association of Professional Probate Researchers, Genealogists & Heir Hunters).
Mediation
In accordance with article R 612.1 of the French Consumer Code, all consumers have the right to have recourse, free of charge, to a consumer mediator with a view to the amicable resolution of a dispute between them and a professional.
The professional genealogy sector has set up a consumer ombudsman to promote the amicable resolution of contractual disputes. These contractual disputes arise between heirs and professional genealogists, and concern the performance of a contract or the provision of services. As such, the Union des généalogistes de France appointed Mr Gérard GAUCHER as sector mediator for genealogists in France for 3 years from July 12, 2016, and then renewed his appointment in 2019 for a second 3-year period.
The ombudsman has his own website containing all the information needed by consumers wishing to contact him, and by professional genealogists involved in mediation processes.