About
A Probate Research Firm Built Around the Record
Percival, Carter & Associates Investigators locates missing heirs and beneficiaries for probate matters, and documents the search so the result holds up in the file.
Most heir searches fail in one of two ways. Either the person cannot be located, or the search is not adequately documented. In probate matters, a name without supporting records may be subject to question.
PCA Investigators conducts thorough heir investigations through our team of researchers and reviewers. We research, verify, and document every finding. Every identified heir is independently reviewed before the report is approved. Our reports provide lawyers with a clear, comprehensive record of the investigation, showing how the family was established and providing documentation a court can review.
We work for the party who engages us, at a published fee. Our compensation does not vary with the size of the estate or with who inherits, keeping our findings independent of the outcome.
How We Work
Research
Vital records, probate and county court records, obituaries, census and immigration records, public records and estate genealogy research, applied branch by branch until the family is established.
Verification
A second reviewer, independent of the researcher, confirms each identity and relationship before it is written into the report.
Documentation
Each verified person is set out with their relationship, contact details and the investigator’s notes, and anyone not verified is listed separately.
Our Team
Researchers, Verifiers, and Client Contacts
Every case is handled by a research team and a separate verification team, with a named point of contact for the engaging firm or family. Research and verification are deliberately kept apart, so no one confirms their own work.
Timothy Percival
Co-founder
Ronald Carter
Co-founder
Minjee Banzali
Operations
Where We Work
Probate is administered county by county, and our research follows the filing. We take matters in all 50 states, including every one of Texas’s 254 counties. When a family line crosses state or national borders, the research continues.
PCA Investigators is an independent investigative research firm providing probate research and heir location services. We are not a law firm and we do not provide legal advice. Questions about how a report applies to a specific matter should be directed to the attorney handling the estate.