DNA testing has reunited thousands of families — and revealed unexpected relatives that genealogists have never met. When one of those matches turns out to have died, a natural question follows: did they leave anything behind, and could you be entitled to it?
When someone in England or Wales dies without a will and without known relatives coming forward, their estate passes to the Crown under the bona vacantia rules and is listed on a public register. If you can prove you are a blood relative, you may be able to claim. The window is up to 30 years from the date of death.
Use the tool below to search the BV list by your match's surname and see an instant assessment of your intestacy standing based on the predicted relationship.
Phonetic matching included — spelling variants of the surname are found automatically.
When someone dies without a will in England or Wales, the Administration of Estates Act 1925 sets out exactly who inherits and in what order. The rules work through eight tiers of relatives — each tier only inherits if there is nobody living in any higher tier.
Second cousins and more distant relatives are outside these rules entirely. If no relative in any tier comes forward, the estate passes to the Crown as bona vacantia.
Identify the deceased match
Use your DNA platform's tools to find the person's full name. Ancestry, MyHeritage, and 23andMe all show predicted relationships based on shared centimorgans — this gives you a starting point for the intestacy assessment.
Search the BV list
Use the search tool above. Phonetic matching means you will find variants of the surname automatically — important for Irish and Welsh names in particular.
Check the intestacy tier
The relationship assessment above tells you which tier you fall into and who would need to be absent for you to inherit. Closer relatives — spouse, children, parents — take absolute precedence.
Gather documentary evidence
You need an unbroken chain of official records (birth, death, and marriage certificates) from you to the deceased. The further the relationship, the more certificates you need.
Submit a claim to the GLD
Write to the Bona Vacantia Division of the Government Legal Department with your BV reference, a covering letter, and copies of your supporting documents.
If you have built a family tree on a DNA platform, you can export it as a GEDCOM file and import it into FindMyLegacy. The system will automatically sweep your entire tree against the BV list and show you every potential match — not just the surname you search for manually.
Register free to import your GEDCOM →My DNA match lived in Scotland — does this apply?
The Bona Vacantia list covers England and Wales only. Scotland has a separate system administered by the King's and Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer (KLTR). Northern Ireland has no equivalent public list.
The match died years ago — is it too late?
Under English intestacy law, relatives generally have up to 30 years from the date of death to make a claim. Estates from the early 1990s onwards may still be open. Check the date of death on the BV list entry and count forward 30 years.
How do I prove the DNA match is the same person on the BV list?
You need the deceased's death certificate, which confirms their full name, date of death, and place of death — all of which should match the BV list entry. This is one of the first documents you would gather.
Do I need a solicitor to make a claim?
You are not required to use a solicitor, but for more complex cases (distant relationships, large estates, multiple potential claimants) professional advice significantly improves your chances. Our solicitor directory lists firms experienced in BV claims.
What if a closer relative has already claimed?
The BV Division will have conducted their own search for relatives before listing the estate. If a closer relative comes forward after you submit a claim, they take priority under the intestacy rules. Your claim would not succeed in that scenario.
Register free to save your search, import your family tree, open a case for any estate, and get email alerts when new matching estates appear.
Data sourced from the UK Government Legal Department Bona Vacantia Division. This tool is for information only — always seek independent legal advice before making a claim.