Peace of mind for executors and beneficiaries:
On this page, you will find a lot of useful information to help you arrange Section 27 Indemnity Insurance in the UK.
If you have questions on the cover you should find they are answered on this page. If not, start a chat or contact us.
You can click on any of the items in 'Contents' to jump to the section that interests you.
Section 27 indemnity insurance covers the legal liability of executors, personal representatives, and beneficiaries from claims by unknown creditors to the estate.
This means that if an unknown creditor comes forward after the estate has been distributed, the insurance will cover the costs of defending the claim, associated expenses as well as repaying unknown creditors up to the limit of indemnity you have chosen.
The insurance can be purchased with or without a Section 27 notice.
However, the executors or personal representatives should still consider obtaining a credit report on the estate. This will help highlight any known issues before distribution.
Insurance cover can still be requested without a credit report, but the insurance cost may be higher.
This policy should be arranged by the executors, personal representatives or solicitors administering the estate.
This policy is also suitable for lay executors or administrators who are administering an estate without legal representation.
The most economical way to arrange a Section 27 Insurance policy is as follows:
Please note: We can still provide a quote without the statutory credit and liability search but it will cost the estate more.
The cost of our Section 27 Indemnity Insurance can be as low as £89.60 including Insurance Premium Tax. The cost will vary depending on the size of the estate and the potential for unknown creditors to come forward.
However, it is usually very cost-effective when compared to not having insurance. Without it, you will have the additional costs of advertising in local papers and the delays in distributing the estate. Not to mention the costs of future claims from creditors.
You can reduce the cost of Section 27 Indemnity insurance by arranging for a credit and liabilities search to identify any unknown creditors.
If you receive a claim on Section 27 Indemnity Insurance you must adhere to all the claims conditions listed in the policy.
Failure to do this could mean the insurer rejects your claim, or they could reduce the value the policy pays out if the breach of conditions increases the value of the loss.
You should ensure you read and understand all of the policy conditions listed in the policy.
Here are some pointers on what you should do in the event of a claim:
You should never tell a third party about the existence of this policy.
If there are circumstances that might cause a claim, you must tell the insurer in writing as soon as possible. You should also provide the insurer with as much information and documentation as you can.
Don't incur any costs relating to a claim without first consulting your insurer
Never admit liability or offer to pay or settle with someone else. You should refer the matter to your insurers claims team.
Pass all correspondence and requests for meetings to your insurer's claims team.
For full details of your claims conditions, you must read your policy wording or speak to the insurer's claims team for guidance.
In the absence of Section 27 Indemnity Insurance, the executors, personal representatives and beneficiaries may be legally responsible for any debts that the deceased owed at the time of their death.
There are a few things you can do to protect yourself if you don't have Section 27 Indemnity Insurance:
Publish a Section 27 notice in the local newspaper and the London Gazette. But remember, this only provides protection for the executors and personal representatives administering the estate. Without insurance, Beneficiaries would need to repay the creditors plus cover any legal costs.
Make sure that you have a good understanding of your legal responsibilities as a personal representative.
Take steps to locate all of the deceased's creditors.
Give creditors a reasonable amount of time to come forward and make a claim.
If a creditor does come forward after the estate has been distributed, you may be able to defend yourself by arguing that you took reasonable steps to locate them and give them a chance to make a claim. However, there is no guarantee that you will be successful.
If you don't have insurance you should seek legal advice.
If you have Section 27 Indemnity Insurance you should speak to your insurers claims team immediately. You should also send them any correspondence from creditors seeking to recover their debts. Do not acknowledge these letters or speak to the claimant, let your insurer do this on your behalf.
No section 27 insurance is an option for Section 27 Insurance. You can buy this cover when no Section 27 notice has been placed but the executors would still like to insure against the risk of unknown creditors coming forward after the estate has been distributed.
Yes, this is a key feature of our policy, provided you have obtained a free statutory deceased credit notice. Buying this cover means you don't need to incur the expense of a Section 27 Notice thus saving the estate several hundred pounds. Arranging no section 27 insurance will enable the executors to insure against the risk of unknown creditors coming forward after the estate has been distributed.
As an executor or personal representative, it is your responsibility to ensure the estate and the beneficiaries are adequately insured.
You should be considering the following types of insurance (click the links to go to the relevant page):
We have written a guide to Executor Insurance, which explains the need for these types of policies. You can find out more here: https://insuristic.co.uk/executor-insurance/
You can arrange a Section 27 Insurance policy as soon as you have the Grant of Probate (if there is a Will) or Letters of Administration (if there is no Will),
You don't need a Section 27 notice if you buy a Section 27 Insurance policy from Insuristic. The insurance covers all the personal representatives and beneficiaries.
A notice claims to protect the executors and personal representatives from unknown creditor claims. However in the absence of insurance, if a claim arises, a beneficiary can still sue the executors and personal representatives for failing in their duty of care to protect them from financial loss.
So the safest bet is always to arrange a Section 27 insurance policy.
If you have further questions, please visit our Probate Insurance FAQ page.
As an executor or administrator, you can be personally liable for defending claims and covering losses if you don’t have Probate Insurance, even when the claim is made against the estate, not directly against you.
Contentious probate isn’t limited to courtroom battles; it often begins with disagreements over who inherits, how the estate is handled, or whether the Will is valid.
These situations may involve someone being left out of the Will, a dispute over how much someone should receive, concerns about how the Will was created, or confusion when no Will exists. Claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 are particularly common.
Such disputes can delay the probate process, increase costs, and expose executors to personal liability. It’s far better to identify and address potential risks early, before they escalate.
They’ll assess your situation, confirm whether a claim is unlikely (which may help you qualify for Early Distribution Insurance), or provide expert guidance on how to protect both yourself and the estate from risk.
Probate Insurance can help protect against:
Rob Faulkner is a leading expert in executor insurance risk and probate insurance, with nearly 30 years’ experience in the UK insurance market. He is the founder of Insuristic, a specialist provider of probate-related insurance solutions and educational content for executors.
Rob is an ACII Chartered Insurance Broker, a Chartered Manager, and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. His background spans insurers, brokers, and Insurtechs, always focused on innovation, transparency, simplicity, and fair value.
He’s passionate about helping everyday people, executors, beneficiaries, and law firms choose the right probate property insurance or unoccupied home insurance, without jargon, inflated fees, or hidden commissions.
Rob is especially passionate about product development and improving insurance education through marketing, helping people understand what they are buying. These values sit at the heart of everything we do at Insuristic.
Want to learn more? Visit my author page or follow me on LinkedIn.
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Please Note: Our broking team at SJL Insurance will need to talk to you to discuss your requirements. This is an advised service.
Please Note: Our broking team at SJL Insurance will need to talk to you to discuss your requirements. This is an advised service.
Please Note: Our broking team at SJL Insurance will need to talk to you to discuss your requirements. This is an advised service.
Please Note: Our broking team at SJL Insurance will need to talk to you to discuss your requirements. This is an advised service.
Please Note: Our broking team at SJL Insurance will need to talk to you to discuss your requirements. This is an advised service.
Please Note: Our broking team at SJL Insurance will need to talk to you to discuss your requirements. This is an advised service.
