Public Trustee Act 1978

When the public trustee is in doubt as to the existence of any person or any class of persons who, if in existence at some particular time, would be entitled to share in any estate under administration by the public trustee, or as to the identity of any person entitled to any estate or part of an estate, the public trustee may, after such inquiries, including newspaper advertisements, as the public trustee considers necessary, pay, deliver or distribute the assets in the estate having regard only to the persons whose claims have then been established to the public trustee’s satisfaction, or who then appear to the public trustee to have the best claim in law (including, in a case where the existence of a person at a particular time has not been established to the satisfaction of the public trustee, persons who would only have a lawful claim if such first mentioned person was not in existence at such particular time).

Nothing in this section shall affect the right of such person or persons to follow the estate or any part thereof into the hands of the persons who have received the same pursuant to such payment, delivery or distribution.