Sometimes magical things happen within Queensland Public Trustee, things that can change peoples’ lives for the better, even during a time of loss. Sharing these stories is not only heart-warming, they also help us to create the much-needed awareness around the importance of life planning and having a Will.
Meet George Parker. One afternoon, seemingly out of the blue for George, he received a call from us—a call that while sad at the time, led to a very happy ending. We explained to George that his sister Marie*, who he hadn’t seen for more than 40 years, had recently passed away. We also informed him that unfortunately she had died without a valid Will, known as dying ‘intestate’ and that he appeared to be the only known next of kin, possibly making him the only beneficiary of Marie’s estate.
About 20% of Queenslanders die intestate (without a valid Will) and our Intestacy Entitlement Unit receives over 150 cases each year where someone has died with no known beneficiaries.
The life-changing power of human connection
Researchers at Queensland Public Trustee can spend months or years tracking down the rightful beneficiaries of an unclaimed deceased estate, and on many occasions it can lead to uniting families that didn’t even know another relative existed.
In this case we were initially informed that Marie, who was born in England, had no surviving family. According to those who knew Marie well, her spouse and only child had died more than 40 years ago.
Our researchers explored the National Archive and discovered that Marie and her brother George had immigrated with their parents to Australia in 1955. They managed to locate George in Queensland and made contact with him.
The next step was to confirm the death of Marie’s spouse and child. After thorough investigation, the team discovered, to their surprise, that Marie’s daughter Monique* was in fact still alive and well, and also living in Queensland.
Queensland Public Trustee’s researchers were able to inform George that not only did he have a niece, but she was living within a short distance from him.
George was very happy to find Monique. Now in his 70s, and with no children of his own, finding his niece has been life changing.
“I can’t believe she was living so close to me all this time. Now we speak to each other three or four times a week on the phone, and it’s wonderful just knowing I am not alone, and I have family. It’s been the most precious gift to me”.
A team dedicated to tracing families at Queensland Public Trustee
As one of the largest administrators of estates in the state, families and legal practitioners often refer these matters to us for our expertise.
CEO Samay Zhouand said, 'Our responsibility is to confirm relatives who are entitled to a share of a person’s estate. Sometimes this can be a simple process, but when there are complications, or when overseas research is required, estates are referred to our specialist family tree researchers in the Intestate Entitlement Unit.'
The Unit carries out investigations in accordance with the state’s Succession Act 1981 to identify, locate and certify relatives that are entitled to an estate before it can be distributed. At Queensland Public Trustee, we also carry out research when a person has died with a Will but a beneficiary cannot be found.
Some of the ways beneficiaries are tracked include using genealogy records, the electoral role, online historical indexes, probate records, media searches, and Births, Deaths and Marriages records. We also use Ancestry.com, census information on findmypast.com and a dedicated Facebook site established by Queensland Public Trustee to conduct searches across Facebook sites.
George’s story is just one of many incredible, heart-warming stories from within Queensland Public Trustee that often go untold.
At Queensland Public Trustee these stories are so gratifying for our teams. No one story or one family is the same, but each renewed connection, which enriches their lives, is nothing short of magic!
We think of it as an honour and a privilege to support Queensland families through difficult times. It's truly magical when we can help make connections and renewed relations that change people’s lives forever.
*All names have been changed to protect our customers’ privacy.
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