What is a Bond of Caution?
A Bond of Caution (pronounced “Kay-shun”) is a type of insurance that estates often need when someone has not left a Will. Getting this insurance is a Court requirement in a lot of cases.
The insurance protects the beneficiaries by making sure they will receive what they are entitled to. If a beneficiary is missed or not paid correctly, the insurance company would pay them and then recover the money from the Executor(s).
In practice, this requirement is mainly to safeguard the rights of any beneficiaries who the Executors might not know about.
When you need a Bond of Caution
You normally need a Bond of Caution if the person died without leaving a Will.
You will definitely need one if there is no Will and:
the estate is worth more than £36,000, and they do not have a surviving spouse or civil partner
they do have a surviving spouse or civil partner, but the estate values includes one or more of the following:
share of the marital home worth more than £473,000 (if not passing by survivorship)
household goods worth more than £29,000
more than £50,000 in other assets (like cash, investments or policies)
These values apply to deaths on or after 1 May 2024. If the person died before then, different limits will apply.
When you don’t need a Bond of Caution
You never need a Bond of Caution if there is a valid Will.
For no-Will estates, you do not need a Bond if:
the estate qualifies as a small estate (worth £36,000 or less) and you use the Sheriff Court’s free ‘small estates procedure’
the person has a surviving spouse or civil partner and their automatic (‘prior’) rights cover the whole estate (that is, if the estate falls within the property, household goods, and asset thresholds above)
How much does it cost?
The cost of a Bond of Caution depends on the value of the estate.
These are guideline prices from the broker we work with, as at April 2026:
Estate value (for Confirmation) | Approximate cost of Bond of Caution |
Up to £100,000 | £500 |
£100,001 – £150,000 | £700 |
£150,001 – £200,000 | £900 |
£200,001 – £250,000 | £1100 |
These figures are guidelines only. The exact premium is set by the insurer once they review your Bond application form.
How long it takes to get a Bond of Caution
Arranging a Bond of Caution usually takes a few weeks if all the Executors are easily identifiable through credit reference agencies and all the paperwork is in order. You don’t need a good credit score, it’s just for identification purposes.
Before applying for the Bond, you need to first be appointed as Executor-dative.
How to get a Bond of Caution
Estates under £250,000
If you need a Bond and the estate is worth £250,000 or less, we can help you arrange it through a specialist broker.
The insurer will only issue the Bond if all Executors:
have never been made bankrupt
have no court judgements against them
are resident in the UK
As part of our No Will service, we’ll fill in all the required forms and give you step-by-step instructions – no guesswork required.
Estates over £250,000
If you need a Bond and the estate is worth more than £250,000, or there aren’t any eligible Executors, we are not aware of a company that will issue a Bond directly to you. In this case, you will need a solicitor to manage the estate for you.
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