I am administering an estate in Montgomery County Maryland. The will names specific non-relative legatees for all the assets of the estate. The decedent told me before his death that he had no living relatives, although we never discussed in detail what this meant. Everyone has distant cousins, although few of us know who they are or how we are related.
The register of wills tells me that I must find his heirs so that they can be included in the list of interested persons and notified of estate proceedings even though they will not receive anything from the estate. The court is somewhat vague about the how distantly related these heirs must be and how much effort and expense must be devoted to finding them. Does anyone know if there is a standard which might limit the search? What constitutes due diligence in such circumstances?
The register of wills tells me that I must find his heirs so that they can be included in the list of interested persons and notified of estate proceedings even though they will not receive anything from the estate. The court is somewhat vague about the how distantly related these heirs must be and how much effort and expense must be devoted to finding them. Does anyone know if there is a standard which might limit the search? What constitutes due diligence in such circumstances?
