CAN I PUT FORWARD MY OWN CLAIM?
Going it alone
It is possible and legally acceptable for you to carry out the necessary research and put forward your own claim to the deceased's estate.
However, in most cases we would advise against this.
For a claim to be successful, you need to submit a claim to the Treasury.
As well as proving your own link to the estate, you will need to demonstrate that you are entitled to the share of the estate which you are claiming. This may require substantial additional research to show the share owed to other heirs (who may be only distantly related to you).
It is a criminal offence for anybody to distribute the estate differently from the norms set out by intestacy laws.
If you are in any doubt, please do not hesitate to contact us, or to consult your own solicitor, as we would be happy to liaise with your legal advisers on this matter.