Genealogy once played a key role in society as family lines dictated social standing and mobility as well as wealth. In the modern era, social standing is much less tied to blood but when it comes to inheritance the connection is as strong as ever. As a result, a new industry has emerged that is solely dedicated to tracing family lines by professional and experienced genealogist. Being able to find distant heirs can be problematic for estate administrators particularly in intestate situations where tracking down distant relatives is imperative for final distribution of an estate. The fact that freedom of movement is greater these days, when combined with divorce, can lead to situations where family members have been separated for years with little or no contact and are difficult to track down. So if there is ever a situation when long lost relations need to be tracked down, keep in mind that there is a growing industry dedicated to just that task.
See Maisha Frost, Tracing lost legacies: Genealogy Worldwide flourishing with diverse client base, Daily Express, February 23, 2016.
