Missing Beneficiary and Missing Will indemnity insurance products, whilst niche, are a key part of the estate administration process. They offer Personal Representatives (PR) protection from claims against them for a share of an estate following distribution.
The truth is, no genealogist can ever be 100% sure that all entitled relatives have been identified; it just is not possible. Stories of rightful relatives making claims some years after distribution are not reserved solely for the press and movie makers; it happens in real life too.
Claims could be made by untraced known beneficiaries, or unexpected beneficiaries who were previously not known to the family; a valid Will can also appear unexpectedly following distribution. Therefore, an insurance policy is the only true way of obtaining total peace of mind for PR’s.
Insurance should be considered as particularly relevant in intestacy cases. It is strongly recommended that a policy is taken out given the lack of certainty and mystery around intestacy cases, which are historically more susceptible to claims.
Some other considerations about Missing Beneficiary and Missing Will Insurance:
- A missing beneficiary or valid Will can appear any time, any place, on any case, regardless of estate value.
- Premiums typically are in the region of 0.5% to 1% of the net total estate value for distribution.
- Look for a firm that is FCA authorised for indemnity insurance business who really understand the risks involved.
- An indemnity insurance policy is the only true way of obtaining total peace of mind for PR’s.
For more information, please visit our dedicated indemnity insurance web page.
Anglia Research is an award-winning probate genealogy and people tracing firm offering a range of services that assist probate practitioners throughout the estate administration process, such as:
- Finding missing beneficiaries named in a will
- Locating legally entitled relatives in intestacy cases
- Family tree verification & estate distribution guidance
- Providing fixed-cost international bankruptcy searches
- Undertaking financial asset and liability checks in the UK
- Accessing missing beneficiary indemnity insurance quotes
- We also offer additional support around Statutory Will research services for Court of Protection teams and tracing owners of empty properties and absent landlords.
Please do get in touch if you have any queries: legal@angliaresearch.co.uk or call us on 01473 350 350.
