Probate acknowledgement

Eek_Bears

It’s 3 weeks now since I sent off my mothers will and the covering form to the probate office and I still have no acknowledgement that they’ve received it. When I log into the probate application on the website it still says the next thing we should do is send the documents.

I sent the will signed for delivery but the post office website shows a scribble rather than a proper signature.

is this other peoples experience?

SeniorSam

What about the Death Certificate?
You can phone them and ask them to confirm they have evertyhing or what else are they waiting for.

SevenOfNine

Yes. I got an email confirming they'd received it & it could take up to 8 weeks to process it (all in the middle of covid). 

Surprised to get another email exactly 3 minutes later saying it had been approved & Grant would be in post within 10 days!  It arrived a couple of days later.

From posting (next day delivery) to confirmation & approval was only about 10 days, but that is usually a "how long is a piece of string" timescale.

Eek_Bears

They didn’t ask for the death certificate, they just asked for the will and the covering sheet. 

I’m doubting myself now so I’ve logged back on and it says send us the will and the covering sheet.

I’ll call them on Monday 

Eek_Bears

Luck you SevenofNine!!

ljayljay

I was only requested to send the original will. I imagine the death confirmation is already notified internally.
The initial information stated that receipt of will acknowledgement would follow within 2 weeks, however, up to 8 weeks before any processing of probate would begin.
Still hadn't received acknowledgement after 4 weeks so contacted them this week. They were able to confirm receipt of documents & that the 2 week information I was given was now out of date. Pity the website doesn't mention this. However, still told that I should receive an email to advise further at the 8 week stage. This is fine by me, so long as it is in the system.

Eek_Bears

Thank you ljayljay. That is reassuring

SiliconChip

SevenOfNine said:

Surprised to get another email exactly 3 minutes later saying it had been approved & Grant would be in post within 10 days!  It arrived a couple of days later.

From posting (next day delivery) to confirmation & approval was only about 10 days, but that is usually a "how long is a piece of string" timescale.

Mine was 1 minute later! The acknowedgement came 5 days after submitting probate online and posting the Will, and that included a weekend. Like you my grant arrived 2 days after the approval, and the whole thing was complete in 7 days.

kipsterno1

The Post Office scribbled signature is standard for bulk delivery. 

My time scale was online submission on 04/11 and will received signed for a few days later. Acknowledgement email received 14/12.

warfield

Please can everyone contributing state if the death was in 2022 because as far as I know the application process has changed if the death occurred on or after 1 January 2022.

I am in a similar position as the thread starter as the death that I am executor occurred in 2022 and I submitted the probate application and posted the original Will using Royal Mail Special Delivery a few weeks ago. The online probate application status is still Submitted and so last week I used the web chat and it was confirmed that the Will had been received and had been scanned in. I asked how long it would take for probate to be granted and I was told that it will take approx 8 weeks from the date that the probate application was submitted.

Note that for the required documents to be submitted I was only asked for the original Will and the online system did not ask for a copy of the death certificate to be sent.

It occurs to me that anyone who has recently submitted a probate application for a death that occurred in 2022 will be amongst the first to use the new system which may be an advantage as the new system may be more streamlined and simplified or it may be a disadvantage if administrative staff have to learn a new system and iron out the bugs.

TheCuriousSausage

We are in exactly the same position as the OP. My father in law passed away on 20/12/21 and we sent the will which was signed for on 1/2/22 but we have not had anything. We tried to call on friday afternoon but gave up after being on hold for half an hour. We will try calling again tomorrow but good to know we are not alone! We have no problem waiting, we just want to know the original will has not been lost.