> However if there are no immediate heirs known to the court and the > value of the estate is fairly large, a person, such as a lawyer, > familiar with the probate courts may have a researcher find heirs to > the estate. If the search is successful, the lawyer and the > researcher receives a percentage of the estate > > bob gillis In this estate of May READ, the Administrator received $11,500 and the lawyer received the same fee. These fees were on a Total Receipts for the estate of $395,348.60. There is also a cash disbursement to an "Official Reporting Service" for proof of partial heirship for $37 plus a couple more bills for $63.50 and 22.50 these were dated Nov. Dec. 1961 and Mar. 1962. Does this information tell me anything? What is the "official reporting service"? Thanks for your help, Evelyn Bayna "Evelyn Bayna" <ebayna@ucsd.edu>

> In this estate of May READ, the Administrator received $11,500 and > the lawyer received the same fee. These fees were on a Total > Receipts for the estate of $395,348.60. <snip> Does this > information tell me anything? What is the "official reporting > service"? Evelyn, In many states the law allowed the lawyer and the adminstrator to get a percentage of the estate. In the states where I practice, that is no longer the case. If you go to a large library such as at your state capital or local law school they will have the laws of all of the states, including the law of probate as it was in the 1960s in Illinois. Joan B "Joan Best" <joanbest@earthlink.net>