Why would you need a passport number for a will?

[SquishyFishy]

Does anyone know of any valid reason why someone would need someone else's passport number if they were writing a will?

Could be part of the identity check under money laundering rules?

Is the other person a beneficiary?

The person writing the will is asking for the passport number of a potential beneficiary

If a solicitor is writing a will for you, they are taking you on as a client. As part of the initial checks to do that, they will need to see/copy an ID (usually passport) to comply with money laundering checks and their own non-conflict regulations (ie check you are who you say you are, and that they’re not already engaged against you in some way that would cause conflict of interest for them.) is that the context?

Crosspost. No idea then - is it because the beneficiary doesn’t have another way of IDing them? Eg no address and just “John Smith” for ID?

There is no need for a passport number to identify someone as a beneficiary in a will. Full name and current address is all that is needed.

We didn’t take the passports numbers in of our beneficiaries. Or any proof of their identity. We did our wills again around 6 months ago. Money laundering can be a problem for solicitors dealing with probate and the Law Society has guidance on this.

When we rewrote out wills a couple of years ago we didn't need to give passport details of our beneficiaries. They are our daughters. Is the beneficiary not a direct relative?

Yes, it’s for designation, we see it all the time and it is quite standard especially in international documents.

There are a lot of eg Will Smith s

Passport numbers change....
The solicitor dealing with my Grandmothers will wanted to see my passport (or other ID) before releasing funds. Before that point I didnt know I was going to inherit anything.

I’ve seen wills like this through work. The passport number is used as an additional identifier.

There’s also the fact that if they’re a beneficiary and the lawyers are the executors they’ll need proof of Id etc to make payments.

Thanks for your replies. Do you think it would change anything if the person writing the will was a UK citizen but currently living in an EU country (not the UK) and the potential beneficiary was a direct relative?

Yes. Some can ask to see passports before they do work for you. DH was asked for passport when receiving business advice recently from a solicitor I now recall.

What about the fact that it changes?

solicitors have very stringent ID requirements

Who is writing the will then? A uk solicitor? Maybe another country has different rules.

Probate and paying money from an estate is not the same as naming beneficiaries in a will. If a beneficiary is a relative in another country then it’s a bit problematic.

Regarding actually seeing the passport I mean.

Everyone is a uk citizen. I have no idea who is writing the will.

There has been very little contact between the two people for many years for lots of complex reasons. Request came out of the blue and is seen as suspicious

Well if you don’t know who is writing the will then it’s difficult to advise. Requirements in other countries might be entirely different.

The request is seen as suspicious by whom? Do you mean the inclusion of this person as a beneficiary? You might need to be a bit clearer as to why there is suspicion. Are you the beneficiary?

The relationship between the will writer and potential beneficiary is complicated and distant.

There have been issues in the past that have resulted in potential beneficiary being very cautious regarding the intentions of the will writer when asking for what could be perceived as personal information and its potential misuse.

So (forgive me if i’m miles off the mark here) you and (say) your DM have a strained relationship. She lives in (say) Spain, and has got in touch to say she is going to leave you the family jewels but says you need to give her your passport number because her solicitor requires it draw up the will.

You, not unreasonably, suspect this isn’t true and she has some dodgy reason for asking for the number. About right?

I think if it’s standard practice in the country she lives in, you’ll only find that out by telling us what it is and maybe residents there can help out with their experience? Otherwise, you know your relative best - go with gut instinct if it is more information than you are comfortable sharing with them.

That's the right idea - I am neither party but asking on behalf of potential beneficiary.