Currently accepting clients for...

• Family History Research
• Speaking / Presenting
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Christine is a Certified Genealogist® and professional forensic genealogist and the owner of Discovering Connections LLC, with over 25 years of genealogical research experience. She specializes in identifying and locating missing and unknown heirs, primarily for probate and estate matters. Christine works with attorneys, estate administrators and executors, and financial institutions to resolve legal matters involving heirship and kinship determination. She particularly enjoys untangling complex family structures and combining rigorous genealogical research with the legal needs of her clients.

Christine served as a Captain in the U.S. Army Reserve for over eight years, where she developed strong leadership, organizational, and attention-to-detail skills that continue to inform her professional work.

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Geographic Specialities

• Midwest United States
• Southeastern United States
• Northwest United States

Testimonials
"I was referred to Discovering Connections from a colleague when I had a difficult intestate succession case. Christine was able to quickly make sense of the large stack of family documents and ultimately identified the decedent's 47 first cousins and their issue. I was so grateful for her hard work on this challenging case!"
        Samantha - Probate Attorney- Washington

"We were required by the court to determine all heirs for an individual who died intestate in our county. Christine was very helpful throughout the process and I have a high confidence level that we have explored all avenues to identify all of the legal heirs of the decedent under Florida law."
        Chester - Probate Attorney - Florida
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"Christine was very professional, organized, and thorough. She listened to my particular needs and her report gave me everything I needed. I am glad I decided to bring my heir search project to Discovering Connections."
        Timothy - Probate Attorney - Texas

Additional specialities or search keywords
Forensic Genealogy, Legal Heir Research, Kinship Determination, Estate Genealogy

Lectures

• "How Forensic Genealogists Locate Missing & Unknown Heirs & Beneficiaries" - Tennessee Bar Association (March 2023); King County, Washington Bar Association (September 2023)
• "Forensic Genealogy" - Chattanooga, Tennessee Rotary Club (April 2023), Cleveland, Tennessee Rotary Club (July 2023)
• "Same Mentor, Different Paths: A Conversation" - Forensic Genealogy Special Interest Group (June 2023)
• "Efficient Forensic Genealogy: Streamline Your Documentation and Workflows" - APG Forensic Genealogy Special Interest Group (August 2024)
• "Efficient Genealogy: Streamline Your Research with TextExpander" - Legacy Family Tree Webinars (September 2024)

Research Time Periods

• 21st Century
• 20th Century
• 19th Century

Languages

• English
• Spanish

Honorifics/Credentials

• Certified Genealogist® (CG®)

Certificates

• Boston University Certificate in Genealogical Research
• Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP) Certificate in Forensic Genealogy
• Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP) Certificate in Advanced Forensic Genealogy

Affiliations

• Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) - Board Member of the APG Southeast Chapter
• APG Forensic Genealogy Special Interest Group - Mentorship Committee Member
• APG Georgia Chapter - Member
• National Genealogical Society - Member
• Chattanooga Bar Association - Member
• Northwest Indiana Genealogical Society (NWIGS) - Former Vice President

Degrees

• Bachelor's Degree from Indiana University
• Bachelor's Degree from Marian University