Probate Researchers in Southeast Asia
Searching for heirs becomes a key step in many succession cases, particularly when the family is dispersed or civil documents are incomplete.
While this practice is well-established in Europe, Southeast Asia, with its cultural diversity, administrative complexity and history marked by migration, conflict and colonial rule, presents unique challenges.
In this context, our mission takes on its whole meaning: to trace lines of descent, identify heirs and assist legal professionals in settling international successions.
Tracing the invisible: the human investigation behind every legacy
In countries such as Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand, identifying heirs relies on meticulous fieldwork and archival research. Probate genealogists investigate civil registers, often kept at the local level (communes, districts, or provinces), sometimes in temples, pagodas, or provincial administrative archives.
When these documents are absent or destroyed, notably because of past wars or regimes (such as the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia or colonial conflicts in Vietnam and Laos), the investigation takes on a human dimension.
Interviews are conducted with village elders, commune chiefs or witness families to reconstruct oral and social filiations.
Cultural and historical particularities
In Cambodia, many families were dispersed during the Khmer Rouge regime. Some fled to Thailand or were naturalised abroad.
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Internal displacements, migration to France, the United States or Australia, and international adoptions make tracing complex in Vietnam.
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In Laos, customary structures still influence the transmission of heritage and kinship ties.
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In Thailand, inheritance often crosses traditional and modern land ownership systems.
Therefore, the genealogist must master conventional research methods and possess a detailed knowledge of local family structures, religious practices, customary statutes, and territorial organisation.
Field investigation and proof of linkage
Once the initial elements have been established, a field survey is sometimes necessary. This involves :
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Meeting the presumed families,
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gathering witness statements,
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verifying oral transmissions of filiation,
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collecting local documents, such as family records, village certificates or certificates from monks or religious leaders.
The results are formalised in detailed family trees, illustrating the links between individuals over several generations and sometimes several countries.
Inheritance rules: diversity of legal frameworks
Southeast Asia lacks a unified legal framework.
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In Cambodia, inheritance is governed by the 2007 Khmer Civil Code, inspired by the French model.
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In Vietnam, the Civil Code sets out similar priorities for heirs, but with specific provisions for intergenerational inheritance.
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In Thailand, inheritance law distinguishes between legal heirs and testamentary beneficiaries.
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In Laos, customary law still predominates in many rural areas.
In these varied contexts, our role is to interpret local rules, articulate them with international standards (notably French, when property or heirs are located in France), and ensure that each legitimate heir can assert their rights.
Banian Genealogy: a bridge between continents
Working in Southeast Asia in probate means being at the crossroads of cultures, languages, traditions, and legal systems.It also means restoring a name, a history, and legitimacy to people who are sometimes forgotten and to family ties that are fragile or broken by history.
At Banian Genealogy, we put our expertise at the service of cross-border inheritances:
Thanks to our in-depth knowledge of the field, modern traceability tools and a reliable network of local and international experts, we reconstitute filiations, identify heirs and facilitate the settlement of even the most complex inheritances.
Banian Genealogy is your link between the past and the future, between heirs and history, and between Europe and Southeast Asia.
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