Finding missing or unidentified parentsis a sensitive topic due to the loss experienced over time and the undeniable curiosity that has built up about their life experiences. Fathers play a significant role in the family, and their absence is felt, manifesting wounds that take years to heal. The decision to find them is often in hopes that it will at least bring healing or closure to a situation. Fortunately, there are several ways to track down missing people, offline and online, due to the increasing availability of public records. Social media, tfederal registries, and reputable third-party platforms all offer tracking options for people to use.
Benefits of Finding Your Biological Father
The advantages of tracing a missing father are endless. Reconnecting with them can bring immense joy and healing. It can also help reconcile estranged family members and rekindle a relationship that was not present. Locating a missing father can also bridge emotional distances that could have developed over time. Many find that after finding their fathers and getting closure, they can better sustain their family relationships. Aside from the emotional benefits, it can also answer unanswered questions concerning family history. Fathers may provide information onmedical historiesas well. That is to answer questions about personal health, which may have gone unanswered for several years. From a legal or financial perspective, finding a missing relative can also assist with confirming inheritance. If your father has a sizable estate, finding them and re-establishing the relationship can make wills more transparent if they pass on.
Offline Ways to Find Your Biological Father
Some prefer manually searching for relatives rather than relying on social media or other online options. That is by hiring professionals to track down the person or to attempt the research process alone. There are recommended steps to find a person regardless of the approach, such as getting all their contact details and seeking the last known addresses and places visited. With the right methods, you can obtain all of the available information concerning your father.
Tracking Down Your Father as an Individual
Their full names, birth dates, and addresses are essential details every researcher should know. Knowing their last known address is incredibly useful as well. With the information gathered, contact mutual friends and family members who might have updates on his whereabouts. Go to his previous work or college alma mater and seek previous contacts who may have been close to your father. These individuals might provide hints of where he might be or his plans before going missing. This process may require seeking the assistance of law enforcement agencies because they perform missing person investigations. Even in the event of a cold case, their results should give a tangible place to begin. Finding your father as an individual might take time, and you might be unsure, considering not many who do this are professional trackers or investigators. In some instances, it provides favorable results.
Tracking Down Your Father Using A Private Investigator
Private investigatorsare individuals who are specially trained to find people. They do this by detecting patterns of life and taking advantage of leads. Some even have experience in law enforcement and many are required to have this experience in order to be investigators in their jurisdictions. Investigators may work as a team or as individuals, but they have access to technology, including IP tracking, geolocation tracking, and public record databases. These tools, combined with their knowledge and experience, can make finding missing people much more accessible. They also provide feedback on their progress on an agreed-upon schedule, allowing you to decide whether to proceed. The drawback of using private investigators is the significantly higher cost associated with them, considering investigators are paid daily or hourly.
Online Ways to Find Your Biological Father
Present technologies and increased visibility ofpublic recordshave made it more convenient for interested parties to track down individuals. Social media use, open records laws in many states, and third-party records platforms have contributed to this phenomenon.
Using Social Media Searches
The advent of social mediaaccounts almost two decades ago has increased the potential of record provision in society. Most people are active on at least one social media site and have revealed a lot of information about themselves, often without realizing it. Data such as engagements, weddings, children, and even day-to-day events are made available by users regularly. If you are searching for your father, try looking up their name on Facebook or Instagram. Even LinkedIn can provide leads on locations along with jobs in the recent past. Photos, captions, and videos can give location-related data about the person, allowing you to track them down. Google may also be used to track down individuals, particularly if they are not present on the typical websites. Type the person’s name or nickname into the search bar and sift through the results. You may find their name mentioned in an article or news piece. Any hit from the search is a lead that can point you in the right direction.
Infotracer
Infotracer is a comprehensive search tool that can be used to locate lost friends and family. Register an account, choose a package, and begin searches utilizing the person's name and the potential state if possible. The results will show all possible individuals that fit the search criteria. You can narrow it down depending on the characteristics of each result until you find the ones that most closely indicate the individual you are looking for. The great thing about Infotracer, aside from the convenience, is the anonymity it provides. You can track down a person and get their physical address without stirring up unwanted attention. The service also shows other relevant public records on the individual, such as their birth, death, and divorce records.
Finding your biological father is a noble cause, especially if the goal is healing and reconciliation. It is worth considering that there are instances when it does not yield favorable results. The person may not want to be contacted by their child or might even have passed on. If the case is the former, it is wise to respect their decision and stay away, however unpleasant. If the person is no longer alive, it is also painful but can be a source of closure, considering there may be information on their life experiences left behind. Overall, it would help if you had an open mind and considered multiple possibilities before starting this exercise.
