Grant of Probate waiting times

[NobbyButtons]

Just wondering what other people's recent experiences are with waiting times for the Grant of Probate. My mum died in November and the probate application was submitted in late January (14 weeks ago now). Apparently it's still waiting to be processed. We keep being told it can take 16 weeks to issue the Grant of Probate, but the government's 'Search probate records and find a will' service shows it often doesn't take anywhere near that long, and I was speaking to someone last week whose application took 8 weeks.

Mine was just shy of five months. As executor, I started chasing after the 16 weeks, and weekly thereafter. Responses widely varied, depending on the competence and attitude of the person on the phone.

I also got the 'waiting for answer to queries' message on the online form, when these had been responded to immediately, months before. It was all extremely stressful.

Eventually I practically broke down on the phone. The application was approved within hours and the grant was with me next day ( top top - order multiple copies.) So it's backlogs of work, not that each application needs extensive work on it.

Probate, like many other gov departments and agencies lost a lot of very experienced staff under austerity. The service is very patchy.

I heard that resources were diverted earlier this year to the team dealing with estates on which I h t was due, as the delays were causing the six month penalty to kick in.

Plus there will inevitably be a surge of applications during the winter months, as that's when a lot of old people die.

@Words I actually did break down on the phone....dealing with two estates. Got a call back within a few minutes, email confirmation of probate the next day and a follow up a week later to make sure I was OK!

Once I got through, I found the staff very helpful.

I think if all of you complaining about probate delays wrote to your MP that might eventually result in some improvement. It is a government responsibility.

This is exactly what I did . The MP wrote the CEO and within 10 days I had probate .

A very good idea, and actually was going to be my next step. I guess I still could make him aware now the dust has settled.

I am also having frustrating and worrying problems with my probate application for my aunt. I submitted it to HMCTS Probate by post, along with orginal Will, death certificate etc, at the start of August. Bank statement shows they cashed my cheque in September. I sent an email enquiry at the start of December, when it had got to the end of the advised 16 week waiting time. The email response asked me for my 16-digit reference number - I responded that I'd never been given one. No response. I emailed them again the following week - the same thing happened - give us your 16-digit reference number. I emailed back by return again stating that I'd never been given one and please could someone investigate this urgently. Again, I received no response. On 27th December, I emailed them for a third time stating that if I didn't get a satisfactory response by the end of the week, I'd make an official compliant. As usual, I have received no response. I have now made an official complaint via gov.uk. Whilst searching online for information on how to complain, I came across this gov.uk petition, which I have signed, and thought I'd do my bit by sharing it on any forums I come across where people are complaining about their poor experiences with HMCTS Probate.Review the Probate Registry to make it more customer friendly

Application made in June 2023 and Probate granted end October 2023. Very simple will, not sure if that makes a difference or not.

The probate we were waiting on finally came through in the middle of December, 14 months after being applied for. This was after we got an English solicitor to write to the executor to ask what was going on, so we’re not sure if it nudged them to chase it up or it just happened to be awarded at the same time.