No Section 27 Insurance: A Modern Alternative for Probate Professionals
Rethinking Section 27 Notices in Estate Administration
Traditionally, Section 27 Notices published in The Gazette and local newspapers have formed part of the probate process to help protect personal representatives against unknown creditor claims.
The notices act as a public notification following a death, allowing potential creditors the opportunity to come forward before estate assets are distributed.
However, an increasing number of legal firms are now reviewing whether traditional notices remain the most practical and efficient solution, particularly when No Section 27 Insurance can provide broader protection with reduced administration.
What is No Section 27 Insurance?
No Section 27 Insurance is a specialist indemnity policy designed to protect executors, administrators and legal firms where a Section 27 Notice is either:
- Not placed at all
- Considered unnecessary based on the estate profile
- Already placed, but additional protection is still preferred
The policy helps provide financial protection should an unknown creditor or claimant emerge after the estate has been distributed.
For many probate professionals, it offers a more flexible and streamlined alternative to the traditional notice process.
Why Some Legal Firms Are Moving Away from Section 27 Notices
While Section 27 Notices remain an established probate practice, they can also introduce operational and practical challenges.
Some firms are increasingly concerned about:
- Administrative delays
- Additional estate costs
- Managing notice expiry dates
- Variable local newspaper advertising fees
- Delays to estate distribution timelines
- Publicly advertising vacant properties linked to estates
No Section 27 Insurance can help mitigate many of these issues while still supporting due diligence and risk management.
Kings Court Trust’s Experience with Section 27 Insurance
Kings Court Trust is a Bristol-based legal firm specialising in probate and estate administration services. The firm has received multiple industry awards, including Probate Provider of the Year honours at The British Wills and Probate Awards.
Lee Rossiter, Operations Director at Kings Court Trust, explains:
“We had issues previously with squatters targeting properties advertised in the Gazette. Whilst this was rare, it did happen on a number of occasions. For the last few years, we have opted for Section 27 insurance which covers more than the notices, we see this as an enhanced product.”
Beyond reducing property-related risks, the firm also identified operational advantages.
Lee continues:
“It’s an operational challenge for a volume provider to document the expiry date of notices in The Gazette, there is also additional work involved to arrange the notices to be placed.
“Using Section 27 insurance instead removes this administrative burden.”
The cost of publishing notices can also vary considerably depending on the estate location.
Lee Rossiter explains:
“If there is a property within the estate we also need to place a notice in a paper local to that property, we find these prices can fluctuate greatly.
“We have reviewed our strategic approach to this again recently and decided to continue with the insurance option as to date we have not faced an issue and we feel Section 27 insurance help us offer a better and more efficient service to our clients.”
The Benefits of No Section 27 Insurance
For many probate professionals, No Section 27 Insurance offers several practical advantages over the traditional notice process.
Potential benefits can include:
- Reduced administration time
- Faster estate progression and distribution
- Avoiding the standard two months and one day waiting period
- Financial protection against unknown creditors
- Reduced reliance on newspaper notices
- Greater flexibility for straightforward estates
- Enhanced operational efficiency for high-volume probate teams
For smaller or lower-risk estates in particular, insurance is increasingly being viewed as a practical and commercially efficient alternative.
Supporting Modern Probate Practices with Estatesure
As estate administration continues to evolve, legal firms are increasingly looking for ways to reduce delays, improve operational efficiency and better manage probate risk.
Estatesure supports probate professionals with specialist indemnity insurance solutions designed specifically for estate administration matters.
No Section 27 Insurance provides a modern alternative that helps firms protect estates while streamlining the administration process for clients and legal teams alike.
Originally published in Today’s Wills & Probate: Section 27 Notices: What’s the Alternative? | Today’s Wills and Probate
