Probate Online - what a disaster

markval

The government Probate website VERY strongly encourages you to apply online for Probate. So we did that. What a nightmare.
Answered the 20 questions, Can I apply online? The end result was a page, Create new account, or Login.
So we created an account and started the process.
Entered all the information, made the 'legal declaration', then gave the email details of the co-executor so he could make the legal declaration.
He did that.

Logged back on expecting to continue where we left off... No, had to restart the process from the start.
Did that. Entered everything again. Gave details of co-executor. He made his declaration (again).

Logged back on (is this starting to get boring...?).
Went through that loop FIVE times, doing the same each time as we carefully checked we weren't doing anything wrong.
On the 5th time (now with 4 'pending' applications having been unwantedly created by the system), only to find the 'Status' was SUBMITTED.

Once we were up to 'Submitted', the website told us to send the Original Will to this address and then click 'Continue'.
Posted the original will Royal Mail Special Delivery, logged back on and clicked 'Continue'.
Response, "We will notify you as soon as we have received your documents."

Royal Mail said it was delivered and signed for... that was THREE WEEKS ago.
Have logged back on every few days since and the website says, "Status Submitted, please now send us your documents."

If they've lost the original Will, I guess we have a problem. This has turned into a nightmare. Now wish I'd sent the application in on paper. At least that would have been one thing; application and supporting documents.
Seems they have difficulty linking an online application with the paper documents.
The only way of avoiding this incompetence, is not to die.

74jax

I managed to do ours online ok, sent the Will and they recorded it as received but then lost it......... it took us around 8 months to finally get probate, but eventually did.... unfortunately you just have to hang on in there.

SevenOfNine

I felt a bit daunted at the thought of on-line applying, been paper 3 times before, but it went smoothly & I sent requested documents for next day signed for delivery.

Less than 2 weeks later the Probate grant (& copies) arrived through the post. We were about £40k below IHT threshold so maybe done faster.

Sounds like having co-executors requires additional actions which isn't working properly, mine 'reserved powers', so I had no extra steps, just as well from the sound of things.

p00hsticks

We're also currently having some problems, although it may be that my co-executor's not very internet-savvy. I've started the online application, and got to the point of making the legal declarations.

Having done mine, the co-executor has now been sent the link to make their legal declaration. Apparently when they use the link they get sent a PIN via text, but when they key it in are getting a message saying something like the system is currently under maintenance....

markval

This gets stranger.

Some hours after posting this thread, got an email saying 'HMCTS received your documents to support your probate application'

Then TEN MINUTES later, another email saying 'We approved your probate application'

But the Probate Online website is still telling us, Next, send in your documents.
As the website has been so useless, I'll believe the emails, and so hope to receive the Grant through the post 'within 10 working days'. But I'm not holding my breath!

parcival

I am sure you will receive the grant in the post within 2-3 days.
I was impressed with the process last year BUT had lots of trouble when including a second executor.  Once we agreed to reserve her powers then the online worked a treat. Definitely a glitch in it somewhere.

SouthCoastBoy

I had problems with the online submission, I switched browsers and it is was fine after that. Unfortunately I can't remember which browsers were playing up. I only ever use 3 browsers, Bing, Chrome or Mozilla.
After about 3 weeks I phoned the probate office as I hadn't heard anything and they said they could confirm the will had been received but not yet been loaded onto their system. Then miraculously about an hour later I received an email confirming grant of probate, not sure if this was a coincidence. 
We had two executors, this wasn't a problem for us, again this could be dependent on the web browser being used.

markval

Spotted an article in a recent Guardian where they don't have many kind words for the online process!

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2021/may/02/grieving-relatives-despair-at-months-of-waiting-for-probate 

Hadn't mentioned it previously, but I've also had problems logging back in to my account. I had bookmarked the logon page, but if I use that bookmark, enter my user and password, it then sends an SMS with a one-time code. When I enter that code it then says invalid logon.

BUT... if I start at the Apply for Probate page, answer the 20 questions, Do you have the Will, is it in English etc.etc. I eventually arrive at what looks like the same login page. But when I come by that route, I just enter user and password and I'm in. [shrug]

Seems the online application process is quite broken.

Sine_Nomine

My experience of the online probate application process was very positive.  Very straightforward, and got the hard copies of Grant of Probate two days after the email saying the application was approved.  Had the Grant of Probate within 6 weeks of applying.  Cannot fault the process. 

markval

Just as parcival predicted, the stamped certificates dropped through the letterbox 3 days after the email notification.

Another 2 days later and the probate online website is STILL asking us to post in the Will!

So five-stars to the probate service, but one-star to the online application website.