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Canada’s $20 Billion Estate Problem: Are You Protecting Your Clients — and Yourself?

By Estatesearch on May 28th, 2025

At our recent Estatesearch Canada webinar, Canada’s Missing Billions: Unclaimed Assets, Risk and Best Practice for Estate Practitioners, we polled dozens of legal professionals to understand how this hidden challenge is impacting real-world estate administration.


Canada’s Missing Billions: Why Estate Professionals Need to Act

Did you know that over $9.8 billion in financial assets across Canada are currently unclaimed — and that number could potentiall exceed $20 billion?

That’s not just a government issue — it’s a professional liability concern.


What We Learned from Canadian Estate Lawyers

Some eye-opening results:

  • 94% of estate professionals believe it’s getting harder to identify all assets and liabilities.
  • Only 6% said their clients are very confident they know where everything is.
  • More than half had discovered missed assets or liabilities after estate distribution.

This reinforces what we already know: even experienced practitioners are vulnerable to missed accounts, digital assets, old pensions, or outdated records.


The Risk of Missed Assets

Failing to identify all estate assets can lead to:

  • Additional administration and cost
  • Personal liability for executors and legal advisors
  • Breaches of fiduciary duty
  • Reputational and compliance consequences

And importantly, “I didn’t know” isn’t a defence when a beneficiary or creditor resurfaces with a claim.


The Best Practice Solution: Financial Profile Service

Estatesearch’s Financial Profile Service is designed to reduce risk and deliver clarity.

  • Access to 150+ Canadian financial institutions
  • Cover an additional 50+ digital asset platforms with our bolt on service
  • Quickly uncovers savings, investments, life insurance, pensions, and liabilities
  • Demonstrates robust due diligence and protects your clients and your firm

Whether you’re working on a straightforward probate or a complex estate, a Financial Profile report ensures no stone is left unturned.

Missed the Webinar?

If you weren’t able to attend live, the full session is now available on demand here:
👉 Watch Canada’s Missing Billions


Want to See How It Works?

Book a free demo of the Financial Profile Service and explore how we can help you protect your clients — and your practice.