Title insurance protects you from problems with an ownership title when you buy real estate. These may be problems that existed before the purchase, such as: (1) unpaid property taxes, (2) fraud or forgery of previous paperwork, or (3) a spouse or unknown heir who claims they own the property.
Title companies search for problems with the title that need to be corrected before you buy the property. If there’s a challenge to your ownership later, your title company will handle the dispute.