Probate - how long?

Essex123

Just a data point in case it helps anyone.  I recently made an application for Letters of Administration With Will Attached.  This was a paper application and included a PA11 Will Power of Attorney appointment.

8th August - IHT forms submitted to HMRC

6th September - Probate forms submitted to HMCTS

4th October - email received confirming probate application had been received

12th December - email received confirming LoA had been granted

15th December - paper copies of LoA received in post.

So just under 14 weeks from papers sent to grant issued.  I was expecting worse for this type of application.

JDacs23

It’ll be 18 weeks this week and still waiting for grant of probate. I did call at 16 weeks and they said the IHT421 form was showing no value. Called the IHT section and they corrected this. Called probate back and they said they couldn’t speak to me as executor only the solicitor who had submitted the forms. I said surely that’s incorrect as I had instructed the solicitor, he went away to check and then cut me off I’d been waiting for 30 minutes to get through. Still nothing received. No one should have up wait this long it’s just appalling. 

Any advice appreciated…

smk77

7 weeks exactly from confirmation that application had been received until granted today. Online with no stops. 

SnowMan

smk77 said:

7 weeks exactly from confirmation that application had been received until granted today. Online with no stops. 

Good news that you've received your grant

I know you said application, but can I just check is that 7 weeks from when the application was received, or 7 weeks from when the documents were received (and scanned in)? And was it a probate rather than a letters of administration application?

Newly_retired

Ten weeks from when it was confirmed that documents had been received and scanned in, for me. 

smk77

SnowMan said:

smk77 said:

7 weeks exactly from confirmation that application had been received until granted today. Online with no stops. 

Good news that you've received your grant

I know you said application, but can I just check is that 7 weeks from when the application was received, or 7 weeks from when the documents were received (and scanned in)? And was it a probate rather than a letters of administration application?

probate. 7 weeks from when I submitted the application online. The documents were received (I got email) 3 days later.

JDacs23

18 weeks waiting for grant, telephoned to chase they agree with figures on iht421 form that were omitted by Hmrc. They’re escalating the case so if I’ve not heard anything in the next 3 weeks I am to ring again! At least they spoke to me this time 🙈 

SnowMan

I sympathise with the posters above. At a difficult time when people just want to move on they have to fend with all this nonsense.

A reminder that the deadline for submitting written evidence to the parliamentary inquiry into probate delays is 22nd January 2024 

https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/102/justice-committee/news/198600/justice-committee-launches-new-inquiry-into-probate-amid-concerns-over-delays-and-consumer-protection/

It's worth submitting a complaint to HMCTS probate registry also, might just speed things up for cases that have been stopped especially where the stop is not the fault of the probate applicant

JDacs23

Reply to complaint received on 2/1/24, sent 8/12/23, with no indication of when grant might be issued. More of a ‘we are short staffed and sorry’. Now been waiting 20 weeks. 

Have asked for this to be dealt with by complaints manager now and also copied in my local MP. 

Not sure what else I can do…

longwalks1

My partners probate application for her mum that passed took 16 weeks to the day to come through (email notification and certificate in the post 5 days later), it was a fairly straightforward estate and a recently updated will.  

Applied online as read it was possibly quicker than posting it off and risking it sitting in a pile on someone’s desk.

good luck everyone with your applications.