Probate Delays

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'The public rely on our probate service at a really difficult and challenging time in their lives. They rely on us dealing with applications in a timely way. We are sorry that over recent months our performance has been too slow and has kept people waiting. I want to explain why the service has got slower, what we are doing about it, and how we will change the way we do probate over the longer term to make it better'

wow an apology!!! I take back what i said in earlier post.

Interesting blogs from Jonathan Wood HMCTs National Director

Both blogs worth a read to find out the exact reasons for the delay.......

Still won't let me post website links but they can be found if you google 'inside 'HMCTs blog'

xylophone

Still won't let me post website links

https://insidehmcts.blog.gov.uk/2019/08/27/making-our-probate-service-simple-accessible-and-reliable/

xylophone

Have now been waiting over 20 weeks live in Bristol so assuming Cardiff office. Company sorting this for us have tried chasing to no avail and so have I. Have now resorted to contacting local MP to see if they can shed any light on the situation. Have lost a buyer for the property as waiting to long. Anyone have any idea what else to try ??

See https://insidehmcts.blog.gov.uk/2019/08/27/making-our-probate-service-simple-accessible-and-reliable/

Helping us help you
If you are experiencing delays outside of the six to eight weeks and this isn’t due to stops then please do get in touch with us and we will investigate. I would ask for your continued patience if we are in the eight-week window for all other cases so our team is able to remain focused on clearing the work.

There is a link to click in the above.

Changeoffortunes

Not sure if this helps anyone but Probate has been granted today (1st Sept) for our application mid April - Newcastle Office. Stopped counting the weeks ��

Suziekettles

Our probate update:
Probate just granted, solicitor submitted paperwork on 26th June, received grant of probate on 3rd September -10 weeks. We live in Birmingham but they used the Newcastle office. It hasn’t taken quite as long as we thought it might, big relief!

Ant550lag

My experience:

Application for grant of probate sent by my solicitor on 13th May.
Confirmation from Manchester office that it was being processed on 8th July.
Office asked a question regarding the deceased marital status to which my solicitor replied by email on 24th July.
Still waiting for the grant to be issued at the time of this post...

I have phoned the office on 9th August and was told they were looking at email responses to questions dated 2nd July.
Phoned again on 27th August and they were looking at emails sent on 16th July.
Phoned again today and they are looking at emails dated 22nd July, so only 2 days away from the date that my email was sent!

I have sent the example of my case to the law society, which was linked to earlier in this thread, and now also to the government feedback address, also linked to in this thread.

Hope this info is useful to others in a similar situation

caeracer

We are trying to buy a house that is going through probate. We offered very early in July but probate wasn't submitted until 14th July so we are coming up on 9 weeks now. We have some flexibility in completion on our sale but are committed to move out in November so it is starting to get very frustrating, especially as we can't even chase directly as it isn't our probate application.

badger09

caeracer wrote: »

We are trying to buy a house that is going through probate. We offered very early in July but probate wasn't submitted until 14th July so we are coming up on 9 weeks now. We have some flexibility in completion on our sale but are committed to move out in November so it is starting to get very frustrating, especially as we can't even chase directly as it isn't our probate application.

Unfortunately, that's a calculated risk you take when buying a Probate property.

When I sold my late sister's house last year, I didn't put it on the market until I'd received Probate, though I'm aware I could have done so, much earlier.

Rich2808

We have been holding off applying for probate on my father's estate as the estate value is between £5,000 and £50,000 (i.e. the assets/savings in his sole name) so we would save £215 in probate fees under the proposed new fee structure.

Seems like the secondary legislation to introduce the new fees looks like it isn't going to happen now - particularly as its a policy unlikely to be popular with an election coming up and the government no longer has a majority.

I know there are IT issues as well - but all this chaos/delays resulting from people trying to to avoid probate fee hikes which probably are never going to happen now!

badger09

Rich2808 wrote: »

We have been holding off applying for probate on my father's estate as the estate value is between £5,000 and £50,000 (i.e. the assets/savings in his sole name) so we would save £215 in probate fees under the proposed new fee structure.

Seems like the secondary legislation to introduce the new fees looks like it isn't going to happen now - particularly as its a policy unlikely to be popular with an election coming up and the government no longer has a majority.

I know there are IT issues as well - but all this chaos/delays resulting from people trying to to avoid probate fee hikes which probably are never going to happen now!

Do you actually need Grant of Probate?