How long and how hard must an executor search for a missing beneficiary before distributing the estate?

There is no fixed number of months or years an estate trustee must search - Ontario law asks for a genuine, reasonable effort proportionate to the size of the missing share, not a specific checklist or deadline. A trustee is expected to use the obvious sources first, such as contacting known family and friends, checking old addresses, and reviewing the deceased's records, before escalating to a professional genealogist or heir-tracing firm for a harder case.

How hard the search needs to be generally scales with the size of what's at stake - a modest bequest may justify a lighter effort than a large inheritance, where a court reviewing the trustee's accounts would expect a more thorough paper trail. Because there's no bright-line rule, a trustee who distributes too quickly risks personal liability if the missing person later shows up, while one who waits indefinitely risks unfairly delaying everyone else's inheritance.

The safer path is to document every step taken, get legal advice on when the search has been "enough," and consider protective measures, such as a holdback, indemnity insurance, or a court application, before distributing rather than simply guessing that the search was thorough enough.