New legislation
The President signed an amendment to the Civil Code that imposes a new obligation on insurance companies: if they learn of the death of an insured, they must seek out and contact the persons entitled to life insurance benefits within 60 days. The novelty is intended to prevent situations where insurance companies keep unpaid policies that the survivors did not even know about. The change will take effect from 1 January 2026.
Until now, if the survivors did not notify the insurer of their entitlement to a life insurance policy within four years, the right to the benefit expired. In practice, this often meant that people were unaware of the existence of the policy – especially if the deceased had failed to tell them or if they were not named as heirs. Insurance companies were not obliged to actively seek out beneficiaries themselves.
Now, insurers will have to contact the survivors within two months of discovering the death of a client if they have their contact details or can find them out from available databases. The obligation will apply to contracts concluded after the law comes into force, i.e. after 1 January 2026. For existing contracts, it will be advisable to check and update, if necessary, the details of the survivors so that they can be easily contacted in the future.
Our team of experienced attorneys will help you solve any legal issue. Within 24 hours we’ll evaluate your situation and suggest a step-by-step solution, including all costs. The price for this proposal is only CZK 690, and this is refunded to you when you order service from us.
In person and online. Just choose the appropriate service or opt for an independent consultation when you are unsure.
