Probate timescales

Loll10

7 1/2  weeks; the approved email just popped up around 6pm one evening. Simple will from solicitor and also under IHT threshold. I wasn't sure if a death certificate was required so I sent one anyway as I had a spare.

• 12 Feb 2023 Probate online application submitted.
• 12 Feb 2023 Gov.UK Pay: Email confirmation of payment.
• 12 Feb 2023 HMCTS: Email confirmation of received application.
• 13 Feb 2023 Posted will, death certificate and cover sheet to Harlow Delivery Office.
• 14 Feb 2023 Royal Mail Tracked: signed for proof of delivery confirmed. (Harlow D.O)
• 27 Feb 2023 HMCTS: Email confirmation of documents received.
• 02 Mar 2023 HMCTS: Letter received by post to confirm documents scanned and enclosed the returned death certificate.
• 05 Apr 2023 HMCTS: Email approved probate application.
• 12 Apr 2023 HMCTS: Grant of Probate certificates received by post.
• 14 Apr 2023 HMCTS online account still showing application as submitted.

oglop

congrats. makes me feel a little sick, though. i also have a simple case and below the IT threshold. i've been waiting over 5 times longer and still haven't had my case approved

Loll10

@oglop I discovered your probate thread just after I joined this discussion. I feel very lucky to have gotten ours approved so quickly.

I’ve been following this blog which confirms the wildly different timescales. Whether it’s diy or through a professional company, it seems to be down to chance which applications sent in get processed instead of the oldest first. I’m crossing my fingers that you hear something positive soon.

https://www.theprobatedepartment.co.uk/probate-delays/

oglop

Bloody hell.

Mine just got granted. 38 weeks later. Now letsxseee how long to takes to arrive in the post. Pls be quick

Loll10

Brilliant news! Hopefully it should be within a week. 👏

lisyloo

Loll10 said:

Brilliant news! Hopefully it should be within a week. 👏

How do they send it?
In my area 2nd class outgoing is quite fast (between 1 and 3 days). I know this as I do auctions for charity and send out dozens of items.
Incoming is really slow, sometimes around 2 weeks. I believe this is because of staffing issues in my local area. Parcels often arrive on Sundays when they do overtime to catch up. Letters arrive sporadically around twice a week. Pretty sure they only deliver sporadically as you get loads at once.
Note you can go to the collection office to pick things up. This is poor to have to do regularly but for this you might want to make an exception.

Loll10

@lisyloo I didn’t notice whether it came 1st or 2nd class. I tend to read the back before I open the estate post to see who it’s from first. For me it was exactly 7 days after the approval email and we are in a good postal area so that may make a difference.

oglop

My solicitor said it usually takes 10 to 15 working days to get it by post. Wonder if that's another joy of doing a paper probate application 

lisyloo

oglop said:

My solicitor said it usually takes 10 to 15 working days to get it by post. Wonder if that's another joy of doing a paper probate application 

I don't think so.
Everyone has to received it by post don't they?

Posting times vary greatly by Royal Mail (regardless of when they do actually print and send it).
Don't know if I've said this already but parcels I send out 2nd class take 1-2 days, but can be as much as 11 days incoming.
So with the staffing issues in some areas the post is totally variable.
If you know something has been sent you can go to the collection office or go and ask anyway if you suspect they are slow in your area.

Otherwise by "posting" they mean internally someone printing it, putting it in an envelope and taking it to the post office.
Sometime when organisations say something has been "sent" they mean interally.

oglop

I think what she meant is that the office that issues paper applications takes that long to print and send them out. Not just the delivery time. I hope they've sped it up though. I remember reading somewhere or other that it took them a month to receive their grant of probate because the one and only printer broke down - lol?

Either way, it'll be delivered to my solictor's office and I'll have to wait until she sorts everything regarding bank accounts, etc. More waiting!