Unclaimed Estate of Birth Mother

[Hilda]

I recently discovered my birth mother on the government's unclaimed estate website. I have a few questions:

- On the government website it says no will or unknown relatives. With unknown relatives, does this mean my birth mother did not have a will? As i was privately adopted in 1945 and my name was changed. It could be possible my birth mother may have made me a beneficiary of her will.

- If as an adoptee i can not make a claim myself, could my children make a claim as my birth mother's nearest blood relatives.

- Can i ask the executor of my birth mother's estate, if i can have any photos (originals or copies).

[Amethyst]

If she is on the unclaimed estates register and has no will then intestacy rules apply. This will exclude you as you have been adopted, and as the line is broken by your adoption, it also excludes your children from any inheritance rights.

You should contact them though and ask if there was a will ( there could be but if your mother left anything to you using your birth name you may not have been able to be traced ) Do you know when your Mum passed away ? If she had no other relatives at all then it seems unlikely that any belongings will exist.

I'm sorry for your loss xxx

[Hilda]

Thank you for your rely.

It's been 2 years searching for my birth mother and putting together a family tree. My birth mother died in 1999 without having any other children. Looking at the family tree i created, she did have cousins and i am surprise nobody has traced them. It would have been great to get a photo or to find more about her.

Who do i need to contact to find out if my birth mother had a will?

[ostell]

The "heir hunters" may have decided that it is not worth chasing as there is not a lot of value in the estate.

Can you not contact the cousins?

[Mont]

While this might not help you, other adopted children who are reading this and who in a similar situation may be able to make an Inheritance Act claim. This is an option where the adopted child had a relationship with their birth parent which would class them as a ‘child of the family’ of the deceased. See section 1.1.d of the Act: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1975/63