Amazing quick time for probate

MarkWatson

EtAl said:

I've been waiting 7 weeks.

Feeling slightly nervous about it now because I sent the will to Harlow as per the instructions when I applied online, but today when Iogging in to my probate account on the off chance there might be some new info it says that the will should be posted to Digital Applications Oxford District Probate Registry. I tried calling to find out whats going on but gave up after an hour on hold.

The deceased and all the executors live in London so I'm not sure why the Oxford Registry is involved.

How do you log in to your account online? Can you check what stage it's at?

EtAl

MarkWatson said:

EtAl said:

I've been waiting 7 weeks.

Feeling slightly nervous about it now because I sent the will to Harlow as per the instructions when I applied online, but today when Iogging in to my probate account on the off chance there might be some new info it says that the will should be posted to Digital Applications Oxford District Probate Registry. I tried calling to find out whats going on but gave up after an hour on hold.

The deceased and all the executors live in London so I'm not sure why the Oxford Registry is involved.

How do you log in to your account online? Can you check what stage it's at?

I went to probate application page and clicked on "return to an existing application". When I logged in my application had status "submitted" and on the details link it gave the new address for where to send the will. It doesn't give any info on what stage the application is at.

Cruiselover

Amazed.  Applied online 4 June, told allow 8 weeks.   Email on 12 June to say granted, received in post on 15 June.  If only other Government departments were as good.  Yes DVLA I am talking about you!!!!

Tiggger

Another really quick response from HMCTS here. Posted paperwork to Harlow and paid fee on 16th July. called them last Thursday to check they had received all paperwork as I’d had no acknowledgment email. Email confirming Grant of Probate approved yesterday. Grant to follow in the post, should be with me by next Monday! Excellent service and v timely as we have accepted an offer on the house involved. Simple circumstances but still very impressive speed of turnaround.

Vasquez65

Had you already sent off IHT forms before sending the probate forms in?
We’ve heard nothing yet,  same date as you,  cheque was finally cashed last Friday.   

Estate agents have told us not to market the house till we have the grant.   We really want it on the market by the end of the month. 

We have a potential cash buyer but their offer isn’t acceptable to the other executor 🙄   I’d bite his hand off as it will save so much hassle plus we’d probably only lose maybe £3k each.  We haven’t had one valuation as high as the amount they want to market it at,  it’s £10 - £30k higher than the 4 valuations we’ve had but they just won’t be told.

Vasquez65

Just had the probate granted email - phew!   

parcival

Can see a pattern here.  Simple estate where IHT done online plus probate done and paid online - couple of weeks as very little human intervention required. Probate application done on a form with cheque taking longer and anything complex even longer.

Tiggger

parcival said:

Can see a pattern here.  Simple estate where IHT done online plus probate done and paid online - couple of weeks as very little human intervention required. Probate application done on a form with cheque taking longer and anything complex even longer.

Yes, I did everything online: IHT form, including transferring spouse’s unused allowance. Completed Probate forms and paid fee online. Just posted ‘front sheet’ and original copy of will to Harlow. 

My Grant of Probate hard copies (2) arrived in the post today, very happy bunny! 😀

SaintAlf

lisyloo said:

SaintAlf said:

Good to hear some cases are being processed quickly.  I applied online late June, sent documents to HMCTS Harlow and have the receipt for 07 July.  Then I received an email on July 20 that HMCTS had not received the supporting documents.  I called them that day and was told they were held up at the Harlow processing centre and this processing was taking up to 2 weeks, and the representative emailed the team leader, at Harlow I assume.  I called them again today (August 3) and was told the documents had still not been uploaded onto their system and they have no visibility of  what goes on before the documents are loaded.  It's worrying that they request the original copy of the will but things go into a black hole at the processing centre.

My general experience e.g.NSI, OPG is that there is a holdup with opening and scanning physical paperwork.

Obviously that cannot be done from home.

Some organisations are accepting email scans e.g. barclays

others are not.

I don't think it's a black hole, it's just lack of staff in the office to process physical paperwork.

If you have a recorded delivery receipt and an email receipt then there's a very high change it's in a pile.

If vulnerable people can't travel or offices restrict the workforce then I think we just have to accept the wait.

2 weeks is not that bad. NSI are 6 weeks behind.

I am on the phone to HMCTS as ours is nearly 10 weeks.

It's not a big issue for us just want to clear the number of things we have on our plate.

Thanks lisyloo, my worry was that HMCTS had sent me an email saying "waiting for documents (action required)" and instructing me that I needed to check I'd sent them.  From my perspective they had been received by HMCTS and the action required was at their end, although you make a good point about the scanning resource.   Black hole was indeed the wrong term, perhaps "in limbo" would have been more appropriate - the good news is I received notifications they had been received and approved by HMCTS on the same day this week.  Now awaiting the grant in the post.

lisyloo

Unsatisfactory call with HMCTS.

With Manchester/Birmingham (apparently both are the same so presumably someone south of watford).

The person on the phone doesn't know what needs clarifying.

Neither do I as it was clear from day 1 that the exceutor was deceased as there is a tick box for exactly this scenario.

Said they would chase it up, but I'm no clearer.

There should not be an issue with our case.

Applicant is not the exceutor due the fact executor is deceased but this is a known scenario they cater for on their forms and was clear from day 1.