Heir Hunter Definition

A business that searches for relatives legally entitled to inherit from the estate or trust of a deceased person, in exchange for a portion of what they inherit. Heir hunters often tell a potential inheritor that there is the possibility of inheritance but won't provide details unless the heir agrees to pay a fee of one-tenth to one-third of the amount that's eventually inherited. Probate courts sometimes review heir-hunter arrangements and may modify their terms or even declare them invalid as against public policy -- that is, as so unfair that courts wont enforce them.