Unclaimed Estates
In the UK an Unclaimed Estate is dealt with by a department of the government known as the Treasury Solicitors Office. An estate typically goes unclaimed when a person dies alone with no direct or immediate family contact and they die with no valid will. In estate law, the common law wife or husband is not recognised, thus if a person lives with their partner all their adult life but leaves no children or other close blood line family and they do not make a will their estate could go unclaimed.
If you recognise a person on the unclaimed list, aka Bona Vacantia List, then call us, we can help.
If you recognise a person on the unclaimed estate list, then call us, we can help.
For help and advice call 020 8432 3101 or make an enquiry.
Who pays for our research?
If you are aware of an estate that is unclaimed and you are concerned that we may charge you for our research rest assured, this is not the case.
If a case is accepted we will agree a conditional fee agreement based on any inheritance you or others may receive. In this way you will know we will always receive less than you. You can speak to one our case assessment team today for further advice.
Unclaimed Estates List
Also referred to as the Bona Vacantia List, this is the list issued by the Treasury Solicitor that details all the names of any estate which is currently unclaimed. Names stay on this list for 12 years, if after 12 years the estate remains unclaimed then any money passes to the Crown.
However it is still possible to reclaim any unclaimed estate money provided less than 30 years has passed.