Grant of probate - anybody experienced?

adamditz

Hi all,

I wonder if anybody could help me out. I am in the process of buying a house, we are ready to go, searches back, mortgage in place... just held up waiting for the vendors to be granted probate.

The main problem is I know very little about what is going on, the vendors are very nice and seem to be bending over backwards to help in every way they can, but obviously not being able to speak to the probate office myself I'm having trouble managing my expectations.

What I do know -

Very simple case, brother and sister both in talks and in agreement, one named as executor on the will, one property (the one we are trying to buy)

• Vendors parent deceased Dec 2020, probate process started not long after
• beginning of Feb, vendors contacted by probate questioning the fact that a solicitors firm named on the will were involved, one of the executors named is deceased, turned out the solictors didn't need to be involved, letter drafted by them and all documents sent back.
• Mid feb they apparently received confirmation that all documents received and OK 'nothing more to do'
• Chased today and apparently still not processed, they expect it to be on the list in the next 2 weeks.

That is all I know in its entireity. My question is, realistically what should I expect with regards to them getting grant of probate? I'm in a position now where it could be in 10 minutes time or 10 years time! When the probate office confirm documentation is OK does that literally just mean waiting for the grant to be issued, or could more be wrong?

Any details of how it all works and what I could be expecting/anything really would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

poppystar

I can only speak from where I am now but ‘all documents there’ just meant I was then joining a queue to get probate granted. I’m now near the front of the queue but not there yet! I know others have had much quicker turn around. 

I can appreciate your angst in this especially as you are one removed from the action, so to speak, but there are so many variables I’m not sure it’s possible to predict exactly how long the process will take. If the vendors have been told two weeks then that is a good sign.

tiengomar

Hi OP, you are in a better position than I am.
I sent me documents and still not been told they have them.
When did you send your documents in?

Icey77

tiengomar said:

Hi OP, you are in a better position than I am.
I sent me documents and still not been told they have them.
When did you send your documents in?

I sent mine in 18th Feb and checked they were signed for (Royal Mail signing due to Covid) but haven't heard anything either  

tiengomar

Icey77 said:

tiengomar said:

Hi OP, you are in a better position than I am.
I sent me documents and still not been told they have them.
When did you send your documents in?

I sent mine in 18th Feb and checked they were signed for (Royal Mail signing due to Covid) but haven't heard anything either  

was yours an online application?

Icey77

tiengomar said:

Icey77 said:

tiengomar said:

Hi OP, you are in a better position than I am.
I sent me documents and still not been told they have them.
When did you send your documents in?

I sent mine in 18th Feb and checked they were signed for (Royal Mail signing due to Covid) but haven't heard anything either  

was yours an online application?

I don't think so?
I had to download the PA1P Form and both Executors had to physically sign it so had to post the original with the Death certificate and Will?
HMRC have confirmed they have checked my IHT 400 (& other forms) and sent the IHT421 to HMCTS

adamditz

So, chased today - vendors are still being told documents are not yet scanned in.

does anybody know what this actually means? They are under the impression that as soon as those documents are scanned in it’s as good as done just grant to be issued, is that correct? Or can things still go wrong at this point?

Many thanks 

ms318

adamditz said:

So, chased today - vendors are still being told documents are not yet scanned in.

does anybody know what this actually means? They are under the impression that as soon as those documents are scanned in it’s as good as done just grant to be issued, is that correct? Or can things still go wrong at this point?

Many thanks 

I don't know exactly, but things are certainly slow for me applying for probate. I sent my docs (including original will) in mid-Feb and have not even had an acknowledgement yet (although the death certificate was returned in the post so they clearly have received the application). Things just seem slow; the doc scanning seems to be done by an outsourced company in Harlow. That said, others have had faster turn around. But I expect the backlog is significant for obvious reasons.

Pennylane

I sent my forms in recently, 10 days later received acknowledgement that they had received them.  Few days later received death certificate back in post. Very next day had an email from Probate Office to say a stop had been put on the application for probate because someone had entered a caveat on it. Now it’s going to be a very long wait as the caveat stands for 6 months and they can then renew it for another 6 months and so on.😡

samba12

Hi Mine was scanned 24 days after the probate office received the application. I received the 'received documents' email the day after and the 'approved' email the day after that.