Probate : 16 weeks and counting

oglop

BooJewels said:

I'm delighted that those of you desperate for Probate to be granted are finally getting good news. Hopefully things can now progress nicely for you all.

I'm only at 7 weeks since they acknowledged receipt of the Will, but as a seller, it would be a weight off to get it sooner than later, as we have a buyer in a rental, with no chain - I'd hate to lose him because of this.

let's just hope that the waiting times have already peaked. i think someone mentioned that the govt has recently trained more staff. the online portal seems to have been updated too, which shows they are actively trying to improve the probate service. i hope the wait isn't too long!

BooJewels

Thanks @oglop - I rather depressingly decided to look at the online tracker thing this morning - just to find it if nothing else.  Unfortunately that states that they can't progress my application until they receive the Will and any other documents requested.  Despite me getting an email mid-March saying they had received it, Royal Mail showing it as delivered about 2 weeks before that.  I'm hoping that the tracker has simply not been updated properly and it's not languishing in a pile somewhere awaiting the Will.

Sarahspangles

HMCTS are part way through a multi-year modernisation plan and improving the probate process is part of this. Unfortunately I think what people are seeing online is a bit misleading if their application started on its way before the new online progress screens were rolled out.  I’ve done this sort of stuff in previous jobs - ideally you wouldn’t see the new screens if your details aren’t going to appear there.

This change, and also recent pension forecast webpage changes really expose that gov.uk aren’t adequately testing their content with users before rolling it out.  They are trading off having a few very confused/concerned users against having simple and accurate content for the majority.

lisyloo

Sorry just to clarify are these new screens only available to solicitors? Or everyone?

Singlemummy_2

BooJewels said:

I'm delighted that those of you desperate for Probate to be granted are finally getting good news. Hopefully things can now progress nicely for you all.

I'm only at 7 weeks since they acknowledged receipt of the Will, but as a seller, it would be a weight off to get it sooner than later, as we have a buyer in a rental, with no chain - I'd hate to lose him because of this.

Hopefully due to him being in a rental he’s happy to wait. 

As the buyer in my situation the most frustrating thing about this is not knowing if probate had been chased and what the responses had been etc so my advice would be to just keep him updated. So now it’s 7 weeks in, just let him know you cannot chase until 16 weeks which you will do if it hasn’t been granted and will update again at that point 

BooJewels

@lisyloo I just logged in to the Probate application page and saw the same simple tracker thing that has been posted in other threads.  I think there's a separate system for solicitors, but individual applicants can now check progress on their own.  As @Sarahspangles said, I think it's so new that applications in progress before it went live perhaps aren't being properly represented.

It's a very simplistic tracker, it just has a line with circles in it and they're progressively ticked as you reach that stage:

1. Application received
 
2. Step 2:Documents received
 
3. Step 3:Application in review
 
4. Step 4:Grant issued

The web URL of that page was https://www.apply-for-probate.service.gov.uk/citizens-hub

Sarahspangles

lisyloo said:

Sorry just to clarify are these new screens only available to solicitors? Or everyone?

There are separate portals for professionals and non-professionals.  The one for use by individual applicants now gives more information on progress. Our two completed applications can be seen in the ‘new’ page even though they completed before this was rolled out. It’s actually now clearer that everything is complete than before. 

BooJewels

Singlemummy_2 said:

BooJewels said:

I'm delighted that those of you desperate for Probate to be granted are finally getting good news. Hopefully things can now progress nicely for you all.

I'm only at 7 weeks since they acknowledged receipt of the Will, but as a seller, it would be a weight off to get it sooner than later, as we have a buyer in a rental, with no chain - I'd hate to lose him because of this.

Hopefully due to him being in a rental he’s happy to wait. 

As the buyer in my situation the most frustrating thing about this is not knowing if probate had been chased and what the responses had been etc so my advice would be to just keep him updated. So now it’s 7 weeks in, just let him know you cannot chase until 16 weeks which you will do if it hasn’t been granted and will update again at that point 

We didn't market the property until after we'd had the email saying they'd got the Will, so he was told all that when viewing the property, before even making an offer.  So he's already aware of the time scale and expectations.  The EA and solicitor both said that conveyancing would take longer than Probate - local searches are seemingly taking about as long as Probate.

Singlemummy_2

BooJewels said:

Singlemummy_2 said:

BooJewels said:

I'm delighted that those of you desperate for Probate to be granted are finally getting good news. Hopefully things can now progress nicely for you all.

I'm only at 7 weeks since they acknowledged receipt of the Will, but as a seller, it would be a weight off to get it sooner than later, as we have a buyer in a rental, with no chain - I'd hate to lose him because of this.

Hopefully due to him being in a rental he’s happy to wait. 

As the buyer in my situation the most frustrating thing about this is not knowing if probate had been chased and what the responses had been etc so my advice would be to just keep him updated. So now it’s 7 weeks in, just let him know you cannot chase until 16 weeks which you will do if it hasn’t been granted and will update again at that point 

We didn't market the property until after we'd had the email saying they'd got the Will, so he was told all that when viewing the property, before even making an offer.  So he's already aware of the time scale and expectations.  The EA and solicitor both said that conveyancing would take longer than Probate - local searches are seemingly taking about as long as Probate.

In that case I wouldn’t worry as he will be expecting delays but as I said, the most frustrating thing is not knowing. 

My solicitor could only chase theirs and response was “not granted yet and can’t chase until 16 weeks” this was AFTER 16 weeks had passed (as I’d been told they applied in October). What would have been helpful is “we have chased it and probate office have said X” 

I now know probate has been granted but I’ve not actually been told this by solicitor (I searched the register to check) so if I was waiting for an update, it is that they are still waiting (as that was this weeks update)

ArGee68

Just catching up with the forum as I'm now in a new battle to get money out of the banks.  We have to jump through hoops to get probate and then jump through a load more to retrieve assets we are entitled to now we have the paper grants.

Congratulations Jowwie, you prove it's important to escalate your case as soon as you can.   

Fingers crossed your house purchase now proceeds smoothly Singlemummy_2.