Checking on probate status

JousterX

Hi,

So I'm involved in a will, and I have an uncommunicative and possibly unreliable active executor to deal with. So the new news is that he now says he's applied for probate, but on further questioning on my part, it was all a bit "errm, errr", if you know what I mean, so I'm not entirely convinced he actually has.

I'm also an executor, but am taking more of a back seat at present. So as an executor, is there a .gov.uk or other website I can use to check the status of the probate application? I.e. See if an application has been made, see it's progress, etc.?

Thank you.

Keep_pedalling

When you say you have taken a back seat, do you mean you have reserved your powers?

If not, the IHT and PA1 forms should have been submitted with both executors details and signatures.

cmayflower

If you are not taking a back seat then when the other Executor fills in forms IHT and PA1 your detials have to be filled in, you will also be notified by the contact details the other Executor submits for you, you then get to check through the answers given by the other Executor and either confirm or not that the details of the estate are correct, this is an automated part of the form. once your confirmation is returned the probate can continue its process.

Marcon

JousterX said:

Hi,

So I'm involved in a will, and I have an uncommunicative and possibly unreliable active executor to deal with. So the new news is that he now says he's applied for probate, but on further questioning on my part, it was all a bit "errm, errr", if you know what I mean, so I'm not entirely convinced he actually has.

I'm also an executor, but am taking more of a back seat at present. 

As an executor with concerns about your fellow executor, surely you need to be taking a front seat - possibly the driving seat, given the contents of your various threads on this will. 

JousterX said:

So as an executor, is there a .gov.uk or other website I can use to check the status of the probate application? I.e. See if an application has been made, see it's progress, etc.?

No. Ask your fellow executor for copies of the documentation - and when he can't provide it, accept that you need to get a lot more hands on if you want this to go anywhere any time soon.

SeniorSam

If you have renounced your appointment by signing a Deed of Renunciation, then your appointment as Executor is finished and you have no right to any information.

If this is not the case, then you still have equal power and can insist on being fully informed, but it sounds a little like the former. Which is it?

Pennylane

cmayflower said:

If you are not taking a back seat then when the other Executor fills in forms IHT and PA1 your detials have to be filled in, you will also be notified by the contact details the other Executor submits for you, you then get to check through the answers given by the other Executor and either confirm or not that the details of the estate are correct, this is an automated part of the form. once your confirmation is returned the probate can continue its process.

Not sure this is correct.  

Keep_pedalling

Pennylane said:

cmayflower said:

If you are not taking a back seat then when the other Executor fills in forms IHT and PA1 your detials have to be filled in, you will also be notified by the contact details the other Executor submits for you, you then get to check through the answers given by the other Executor and either confirm or not that the details of the estate are correct, this is an automated part of the form. once your confirmation is returned the probate can continue its process.

Not sure this is correct.  

Neither am I, as both executors will have had to sign the forms.

p00hsticks

Pennylane said:

cmayflower said:

If you are not taking a back seat then when the other Executor fills in forms IHT and PA1 your detials have to be filled in, you will also be notified by the contact details the other Executor submits for you, you then get to check through the answers given by the other Executor and either confirm or not that the details of the estate are correct, this is an automated part of the form. once your confirmation is returned the probate can continue its process.

Not sure this is correct.  

As I recall it's how it worked for me with an online probate application - I completed it including the other executors contact details (as I recall, email address and mobile phone number) - they then got am email and OTP to log on and confirm the details were correct before the application could continue.  I donlt recall having to provide a wet signature for any forms - we just had to send the original wil and the cover sheet that we printed off.

p00hsticks

Marcon said:

JousterX said:

Hi,

So I'm involved in a will, and I have an uncommunicative and possibly unreliable active executor to deal with. So the new news is that he now says he's applied for probate, but on further questioning on my part, it was all a bit "errm, errr", if you know what I mean, so I'm not entirely convinced he actually has.

I'm also an executor, but am taking more of a back seat at present. 

As an executor with concerns about your fellow executor, surely you need to be taking a front seat - possibly the driving seat, given the contents of your various threads on this will. 

I agree with this - OP, in my opinion, you need to decide either to become fully engaged wit the process, or alternatively to renounce your executorship - you have responsibilities here and you can't really take a back seat with another executor who you don't appear to trust and won't keep you informed with what is happening. There's nothing wrong with dividing the tasks between you or allowing one to do most of the running around. but it's essential that you are fully communicating with each other and know exactly what the other is doing.

Keep_pedalling

p00hsticks said:

Pennylane said:

cmayflower said:

If you are not taking a back seat then when the other Executor fills in forms IHT and PA1 your detials have to be filled in, you will also be notified by the contact details the other Executor submits for you, you then get to check through the answers given by the other Executor and either confirm or not that the details of the estate are correct, this is an automated part of the form. once your confirmation is returned the probate can continue its process.

Not sure this is correct.  

As I recall it's how it worked for me with an online probate application - I completed it including the other executors contact details (as I recall, email address and mobile phone number) - they then got am email and OTP to log on and confirm the details were correct before the application could continue.  I donlt recall having to provide a wet signature for any forms - we just had to send the original wil and the cover sheet that we printed off.

Thanks, I was looking at paper version which definitely requires all active executors signatures.

JousterX

Thanks for all the replies, and sorry for not getting back. Internet issues.

Ok, just to clarify my "back seat" role. I haven't renounced any of powers, don't intend to, and hopefully the executor who's pushed themselves in charge hasn't tried to renounce them for me (although I guess that would be fraud, right?). It's more he's took charge of various things and isn't telling me much of what he's up to, and I'm not sure how to force my way into what he's doing.

Ok, so I believe from what I'm reading, that I either need to sign IHT and PA1 for probate to go ahead, or if it's an online application, at least agree to the details in the forms he's submitted, via an email link. So it sounds like he hasn't actually applied, in spite of saying otherwise! So what he's up to, I'm not sure, right now.

Just out of curiosity, I'm not saying HE'D do it, but what happens if someone submitted false contact details for the other executor, and oked everything from their own created email address? What would happen if the other executor found out too late?

Thank you.