Probate : 16 weeks and counting

oglop

and you just know the probate office will just reply with a cookie cutter response of "sorry, we have a backlog" and that will be that. i really am at despair level of stress right now

astronautoreo

I'm at 11 weeks. The application was submitted by a solicitor and the Probate Office refuse to give me updates directly. Which I think is ridiculous because I have to pay my solicitor for her time. I had no idea using a solicitor would have this implication. My solicitor got an update for me a week ago, which said 'awaiting examination'. 

Those of you who are writing to your MP, what exactly are you asking them to do? I'm wondering if I should write to my MP after 16 weeks but I can't get my head around how an MP might actually be able to help.

oglop

I was just generally complaining and highlighting how !!!!!! the probate service was. Then he offered to help, but it was clearly a token effort and he doesn't really give a crap 

I mean, it was literally my last hope. I have no other way to try and get this mess sorted. Sigh

lisyloo

astronautoreo said:

I'm at 11 weeks. The application was submitted by a solicitor and the Probate Office refuse to give me updates directly. Which I think is ridiculous because I have to pay my solicitor for her time. I had no idea using a solicitor would have this implication. My solicitor got an update for me a week ago, which said 'awaiting examination'. 

Those of you who are writing to your MP, what exactly are you asking them to do? I'm wondering if I should write to my MP after 16 weeks but I can't get my head around how an MP might actually be able to help.

My MP is pretty thorough and hardworking.
I'd expect her to do two things.
Firstly ask questions about my particular case.
But also examine the issue of having absolutely no recourse to any updates, escalation or complaints process for a paid public service.
The issue of staffing levels at the probate office is probably flogging a dead horse in the context of the whole country being broken for the same reasons.

handful

oglop said:

I was just generally complaining and highlighting how !!!!!! the probate service was. Then he offered to help, but it was clearly a token effort and he doesn't really give a crap 

I mean, it was literally my last hope. I have no other way to try and get this mess sorted. Sigh

It must be incredibly frustrating but if I was in your shoes now I think I would have reached the stage of accepting it's going to take as long as it takes and try to focus on other things. In my own world that's when things tend to start moving!!

oglop

If this wait wasn't costing me thousands of pounds, I would happily!

ArGee68

I have asked my MP if he is aware of the current delays with the probate service.  Then I have raised 2 issues, the first that because you have to wait 16 weeks before you can chase, cases that have been overlooked (thrown on the scrap pile) aren't brought to their attention early enough.  

The second issue is why new applications are getting priority over older cases.    As the waiting time is now so long, older & escalated applications should get priority.  

I'm not sure involving our MP's will achieve anything but there is very little else we can do.  There is a probate brokers website I look at which gives very good updates on the current delays and they are also encouraging people to contact their MP's once you've waited over 16 weeks.

I hope that if lots of MP's start raising questions and it starts gathering some bad press, the government might be shamed enough to do something.   But even if they doubled the staff, they will need training and if over 5K new applications are being added to the backlog every month, I can't see things improving anytime soon.

BooJewels

I've no idea what can be done about these unreasonable delays.  For comparison, I had to wait over 9 months to get a payment reference in order to pay CGT, from HMRC. That was an irritation, as it prevented me from closing off the estate and being able to emotionally walk away from it.   Which was quite bad enough.

But Probate has several other complications that take it to another level entirely.  It's often early in the estate process when emotions are that bit more raw, it can cause real hardship to estates that cant get at funds to pay bills etc. and if you're trying to sell a property, that process can be delayed, potentially losing buyers (that's my personal worry, as we have a no-chain buyer wanting a quick sale), but the property can cost a great deal to keep insured, heated and maintained whilst you wait.  So delays have significant real world implications for many estates.

And to add insult to injury, we each pay almost £300 for the priviledge.  How long does a simple Probate application take to process?  I would love to know more about the process - shame no one who posts here has worked for the service.

tooldle

I would guess the service operates similar to other civil service departments. Smallish teams working on a fixed remit, processing volumes. All specialist of complicated cases going to more specialised and likely smaller teams processing fewer cases, due to the level of detail checked. 

BooJewels

I think what I meant @tooldle was just how much do they check in an application - how deep does it go, therefore how long does each one take?  Do they read the will and ensure the names and addresses tally with the application form, do they research property values to see if the estate value is plausible, do they check the ID of the executors applying etc. etc.  I don't know how much attention they give to 'proving' the will. 

Most articles online over-egg the process rather, as they're written by people offering Probate services, trying to intimidate you into using their services, by making it sound onerous and frightening for a lay person to undertake.