Heir Research & Beneficiary Search Services

Engagement fees for heirship research vary by project complexity, number of tracts, record accessibility, and the depth of investigation required. MAJR Resources typically works on a project or hourly basis depending on scope. Operators and land managers should define deliverables, turnaround expectations, and curative objectives at the outset so the research plan aligns with acquisition timelines or development deadlines.

Establishing heirship for title or curative purposes requires documents that trace succession to a deceased interest holder - typically birth, marriage, death, adoption, divorce, and probate records. The evidence standard depends on state law, the specific interest type (mineral, leasehold, or surface), and the requirements of the title attorney preparing the opinion. A complete lineage must connect each generation without unsupported gaps; where gaps exist, MAJR's investigative services are designed to pursue the documentation or leads needed to address them.

Heirship investigation costs depend on the number of tracts, generations involved, record availability, and whether the work spans multiple counties or states. A limited successor search differs in scope from a full ownership-gap investigation tied to acquisition due diligence or curative completion. For energy projects in Texas and across MAJR's multi-state coverage area, costs are scoped to the specific interest type and intended use - operators should define the target tract, deceased owner, and downstream decision before engagement begins.

Heirship research helps clarify who may have succeeded to a deceased owner's mineral, royalty, leasehold, or surface interest. It is commonly used when title records show an owner has died, probate information is incomplete, or the chain of title contains a succession gap. The findings can support title review, leasing outreach, curative planning, division-order assistance, and acquisition due diligence.

MAJR Resources provides investigative services that include locating successors in complex ownership situations. Research may involve reviewing public land and probate records, building family relationships from available documentation, and pursuing leads needed to identify relevant parties. Results depend on record availability and the facts of each case, but the objective is to provide a well-organized foundation for ownership verification and next-step decision-making.

Heir research provides documented factual support for understanding succession and potential ownership interests, but it does not replace a legal title opinion, probate proceeding, or court determination. Attorneys and title professionals use research findings alongside deeds, wills, probate filings, affidavits, and applicable law. MAJR Resources helps identify and organize ownership information so clients can pursue appropriate legal, curative, or transactional steps.

The record set may include deeds, leases, wills, probate filings, death certificates, marriage records, birth records, prior title materials, conveyances, and county or state filings. The relevant records depend on the property, ownership history, and jurisdictions involved. For energy projects, the review also considers how succession affects the specific mineral or leasehold interest being evaluated.

Timing depends on the depth of the ownership history, the number of possible successors, record accessibility, and whether research spans several counties or states. Straightforward matters can move more quickly than estates with missing records, multiple generations, or unresolved probate issues. Defining the target tract, deceased owner, interest type, and intended use helps establish an efficient research plan.