probate problems?

kev1744

probate submitted 5th april....still waiting, did receive an email asking for clarification on the will....but still no progression
simple will, no issues as far as i can tell

Dr9

With my situation, the case is simple, no IHT but intestate, I am brother.  This means I am not able to apply online. I have been forced to apply by post.  The postal application seems to have created a further 3 weeks of delay.

I posted the application form 1st class on 21st April 2022.

29th April 2022 the cheque was cashed NB they didn't waste much time at this stage :-:wink:

13th May I received an email giving me the case number (16 digits)

14th May I got the death certificate back the very next day.

I thought great, now things are moving and I'll probably get the probate the next day :-:blush: but nothing came.

I waited 8 weeks from the 21st April and called HMCTS to chase my case up and he informed me the 8 weeks counter started on the 13th May when "my case was created".

Once this new 8 week period has elapsed (this coming Friday) I can call again and he will "escalate my case".

So I'm just waiting for next Friday when I can call them again

I think they need privatising :-)

pothole65

Our probate took 4 months, the application was sent on Feb 18th and we received the Letters Of Administration on July 2nd. On a time scale the cheque was cashed within 2weeks, the death certificate was returned after a month, after 2 months we had an email to say the documents had been received, and not to contact them until 8 weeks had lapsed to discuss the matter. After 8 weeks I tried to contact via phone and email but no one answered the phone or replied to the email. My only other option is web chat which I would recommend to any one waiting for probate.
After the chat and being told someone would look at the application I received the probate 8 days later.

It appears to me that the application just sits around until you chase it up, so I would recommend that anyone waiting on probate use the web chat service, as this seems the only way to contact them, and you also receive a transcript of the conversation via email.

Hope my little tale helps someone out there waiting on probate.

shiraz99

I don't think the application just "sits around", it's more likely that they handle their incoming post of documents and applications in batches, so someone goes through your online application on their computer there'll be a flag to say that the necessary documents are there, if not they simply move on to the next application and yours will be picked up during the next round, which could take weeks to come round again.

p00hsticks

pothole65 said:

Our probate took 4 months, the application was sent on Feb 18th and we received the Letters Of Administration on July 2nd. On a time scale the cheque was cashed within 2weeks, the death certificate was returned after a month, after 2 months we had an email to say the documents had been received, and not to contact them until 8 weeks had lapsed to discuss the matter. After 8 weeks I tried to contact via phone and email but no one answered the phone or replied to the email. My only other option is web chat which I would recommend to any one waiting for probate.
After the chat and being told someone would look at the application I received the probate 8 days later.

It appears to me that the application just sits around until you chase it up, so I would recommend that anyone waiting on probate use the web chat service, as this seems the only way to contact them, and you also receive a transcript of the conversation via email.

Hope my little tale helps someone out there waiting on probate.

Whilst I know that the process has changed this year (although my understanding was that it had been simplified so would have expected it to speed things up) my experience twelve months ago could not be more different.

 

Payment was made by (i think) debit card as part of the online probate application submission on a Thursday - no death certificate was requested (presumably becase ther was enough time lapsed between the actual death and the probate aplication for the electronic registers to have been updated). I delayed posting the will until the following Monday as I didn't want it arriving at the weekend, Royal Mail confirmed it had been delivered on the Tuesday, and on the Thursday I got an email from the Probate Office to say that the will had been received and a few minutes later that probate had been granted, with the paper grant arriving in the mail the following Monday or Tuesday - less than a fortnight from start to finish (admittedly for a simple estate with a will and no IHT due, in England).

Mrs_Z

Just in case anyone is interested in an update (sorry, don't mean to hijack the thread):

I contacted the Probate office today via the Webchat (a big Thank you to the forum member who provided the link a little while back). Wait wasn't too bad, about 5 min. Person confirmed that IHT421 had still not been received from the HMRC, then they asked about the value of the estate (which is nowhere near the inheritance tax threshold). They said that in that case IHT421 was not required - so they have been waiting for a form that was not needed arggghhh (!) - and indicated that the case would be referred to some kind of Review Committee.... which could take another 5 weeks.

So... application submitted on 14/3... and looking like could be August now before it's dealt with. Madly frustrating as in order to settle debts on the estate, the property needs to be sold and it won't be an easy one to sell due to a short lease remaining and an absentee Landlord (that'll be a topic for another forum!).

Hope others are having better luck!