Probate - how long?

Shedman

tenzin_2 said:

Poor Tom. He definitely has a case for repetitive strain injury. I know he signed mine! I feel bad now…. That’s a lot of signing. 

I reckon Tom is just the office cat looking at that scrawl 

noitsnotme

Finally received the email today to say probate has been approved.  It was 21 weeks from the point I submitted it online.

2 requests for additional information were made.  The first was because the standard wording on the will made through Fairwill, led them to believe there was possibly an additional will/codicil covering foreign assets, which was not the case.  And then the second request was asking for more information from one of the witnesses.  This was emailed by the witness 2 weeks ago but not initially accepted and was only when I chased it up by webchat yesterday they pushed it through.

Not the best of experiences for what was a very simple estate and will but at least we can move on now.

GoogleMeNow

@noitsnotme glad you finally got there.  My application for probate took a similar amount of time and was also not the best experience - big delay after a stop when the probate office wanted additional information but only told me what that information was, after being chased several times - and only once the 16 weeks had passed.  Also a simple estate.  But, relief all round that you can move on.

I am pleasantly surprised that so many seem to be going through very quickly at the moment.

Bobziz

Probate granted for me today. Very quick indeed. Full estate report sent to HMRC 3rd June. Estate just shy of £1m, with 2 x nrb and 2 X rnrb with downsizing. Main form and 6 schedules. 

Probate applied for and Will received 17th June, email confirming probate granted received today.

Jon1970

Letters of Administration granted for me today, will put the timeline down below as probably helpful for people:

Paper application (PA1A form) as for my brother who passed away intestate so unable to apply online. Simple estate, just 2 bank accounts, 2 cars and a caravan (which I had already sold as unable to store them at my house), debts/funeral costs all paid off by myself, no house, under IHT threshold. Only beneficiary is me.

15/5/2024 - Posted 1st class signed for.

16/5/2024 - Received by probate office as per Royal Mail tracking.

28/5/2024 - Email received from probate office confirming receipt.
30/5/2024 - Written confirmation in post confirming receipt & returning death certificate.

31/5/2024 - Cheque for the £300 fee left my bank account.
4/6/2024  - Email from probate office titled request 'for additional information' but not asking for any additional information & that it had been passed to a specialist team which I queried by return email stating as much and if additional information was required to contact me by return.

26/6/2024 - As no reply to my email as per previous step I called them to query as didn't want undue delay if additional information was required. Was told they sent the wrong template letter out and should have just sent an acknowledgement email.

1/7/2024 - Email from probate office confirming  Letters of Administration granted.

(Update) 3/7/2024 - LOA received in post 

Time from posting of paper application to confirmation of grant of Letters of Administration being received by email 48 days which was speedier than I was expecting, but not as quick as those who seem to be applying online in recent months.

(Update) LOA received so 50 days from date of posting to receipt of paper LOA

Dwak81

Hi all, reading this thread with interest!  I currently have two paper applications, which are 22 and 26 weeks in, with no news at all yet.  

Both my parents passed away last year, with duplicate wills naming my sisters as executors.  As I'd dealt with the finances for years we all agreed that I would apply for probate, and both sisters appointed me as their 'attorney' with property signed and witnessed PA11 forms.  This meant the application had to be via paper, and I'm guessing is the reason for the delay.  

A call to HMCTS this week was very worrying, I wish I'd recorded it.  In a nutshell the call centre advised that both applications are with 'specialist' teams, which basically cant be chased or contacted in any way, and there's no point in me calling for updates.  I'll take as long as it takes, and I should just wait for news.  I'm as certain as I can be that all the paperwork is correct and everything has been done in the right order.  I am completely lost as to what to do.  I'm considering complaining to HMCTS, and getting my MP involved (but they have a few other things on this week!).  

Jon1970

Dwak81 Had a similar problem about 4 years ago with both parents passing within a couple of months of each other, which was further complicated by the fact that my parents hadn't done probate for my grandparents which they owned the family home jointly with, it took about 20 months from start to finish & was a complete nightmare and because of the complexity with probate on 4 people (2 of which had passed away over 10+ years before my parents) it was dealt with by a specialist team. Hang in there & despite them saying pointless to call for updates I still would to make sure there hasn't been missed communication waiting a response from you.

Happy_Kitties

Dwak81 said:

Hi all, reading this thread with interest!  I currently have two paper applications, which are 22 and 26 weeks in, with no news at all yet.  

Both my parents passed away last year, with duplicate wills naming my sisters as executors.  As I'd dealt with the finances for years we all agreed that I would apply for probate, and both sisters appointed me as their 'attorney' with property signed and witnessed PA11 forms.  This meant the application had to be via paper, and I'm guessing is the reason for the delay.  

A call to HMCTS this week was very worrying, I wish I'd recorded it.  In a nutshell the call centre advised that both applications are with 'specialist' teams, which basically cant be chased or contacted in any way, and there's no point in me calling for updates.  I'll take as long as it takes, and I should just wait for news.  I'm as certain as I can be that all the paperwork is correct and everything has been done in the right order.  I am completely lost as to what to do.  I'm considering complaining to HMCTS, and getting my MP involved (but they have a few other things on this week!).  

Mine is with a specialist team, I’m now 46 weeks in and finding it stressful but I have been told do not ignore any communications, to ring and they took extra information from me of why it needed to be sorted-legal issue and took extra details. I had mine accelerated to the specialist team, and I’ve been told to ring every 3 weeks as that is when they can give me a better update

I’m a slightly different situation, they are not sure with DM doing a DIY will whether she executed it properly but it didn’t help that a simple form that should of been sent out straight away to the first witness, took 5 months to send out.
i did have a MP caseworker which did speed things along but as soon as Parliament dissolved I lost them. They did help to get the form out to the first witness but I would def keep ringing them.

Savvy_Sue

Once you do have an MP once more, it may be worth contacting them promptly in order to get the help you need at the top of their list ... 

Mrsseanbean

Have been reading this thread with interest whilst waiting the 16 weeks.
Timeline is as follows:

3/3 Applied for probate online and documents posted on 4/3, showed as received on 5/3
19/3 email received confirming receipt
4/4 email asking for confirmation nothing had been removed from the will as very small pin sized hole in the corner. Replies sent by me and other executor on 4/4 &5/4
10/7 Called Probate office as 16 weeks has passed and told that our replies have not even been reviewed by the "Examining Team" The person I spoke to said they would put something through to chase but not to call again until another 3 weeks has passed

Nothing else I can do at the moment but wait again.