Finding a needle in a haystack

A conservative £15bn in assets is reported to be sitting unclaimed in the . Much of it is owed to estates of the deceased, but there are many reasons why an allocation of money is separated from its rightful owner— including illness, old age, death, loss of paperwork, and natural disasters. Locating the necessary paperwork to lay a claim on the assets of a deceased person usually involves going into someone’s house and rummaging through their things—a process agreed by probate professionals as akin to finding a needle in a haystack.

Another option involves engaging in a private investigation, although this can be hugely expensive and take  several months. One crucial resource available to those carrying out probate is the Unclaimed Assets Register (UAR), established in 2000.

What is the UAR?

Solicitors carrying out probate to settle the estate of a deceased person must resolve all claims relating to the distribution of the individual’s property