If you’re unable to locate one or more missing beneficiaries and they reappear after the distribution of the estate, it could result in a dispute. Additionally, if an unknown heir was to arise on intestacy, Personal Representatives could be held liable for the incorrect distribution of the estate.
We have an excellent success rate for locating missing beneficiaries and trace thousands of missing people every year. Although, family relationships can be complex and it’s not always possible to find missing heirs. In all cases, we mitigate risk against future disputes by either locating the missing person or providing a no-obligation quote for insurance.
In the unlikely event that we can’t find a missing beneficiary, we can help arrange Missing Beneficiary Indemnity Insurance through our specialist insurance partners. By putting insurance in place, you’ll be protected from future risk and it can offer resolution in complex cases.
We go the extra mile to ensure Personal Representatives have peace of mind should a known or unknown heir come forward after the date of distribution.
Today, insurers expect Personal Representatives to make considerable efforts to find missing heirs, and will usually require a genealogy report before a policy can be underwritten.
Our research methodologies, developed over 50 years, are accepted by specialist insurers. All of our research is conducted with insurance in mind. We can also advise when insurance cover will typically be more expensive when indemnifying against a close relative of the deceased.
On an intestacy that fell to the class of whole blood uncles and aunts, a solicitor instructed a firm of genealogists to identify all the beneficiaries. This firm claimed to have finished their research and the solicitor approached insurers for a Missing Beneficiary Insurance quote. The insurers rejected the work carried out by the original genealogy firm.
We were subsequently instructed and conducted research to verify the family tree. We uncovered an additional 23 potential heirs not previously identified, and obtained Missing Beneficiary Insurance for our client.
If you’re looking for Missing Beneficiary Insurance, you may also find these related services useful to resolve complications in estate administration.
If you’re struggling to locate any of the beneficiaries, find out how our many years of experience can help you locate them quickly.
Is it unclear who is due to inherit under the intestacy rules? Reconstruct the family tree to ensure all entitled people are included and unentitled people are excluded.
Our dedicated team of experts are available Monday to Friday between 9am - 5pm to ensure a resolution is achieved smoothly and efficiently.
Our useful resources are designed to help you understand how you can overcome complications in estate administration.
Personal Representatives are under a duty to collect, gather in and administer according to the law. This article explores how insurance can help when things aren’t straightforward.
This blog post revisits the case and shares the impact that it had on future estate administration cases in relation to Missing Beneficiary Indemnity Insurance.
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