Probate delays - any insights to share?

[TheCaptainsLog]

Hello, I've posted under this username before about an elderly relative of mine. I am a fairly prolific poster under my usual username. Said relative died at the end of July 2025 and I am the sole executor of her will.

I applied for probate by post in August 2025 and still haven't heard a sausage back from them. Is this usual? I know they received the application because 1) they returned the death certificate and 2) they cashed my cheque less than a fortnight after I sent the application.

I called the helpline earlier this month and I was told it would be escalated, but again not a single obvious sign of action from them.

So as not to drip-feed: the solicitor who drew up the will had lost the signed original, although I had a photocopy of the final signed document. I used the form PA13 along with the PA1P in my paper application because of that.

The gov.uk website has a press release dated a year ago (14/2/25) crowing that probate wait times are down to four weeks, but it's been 25 weeks now.

Anyone have a clue what's happening? I've got relatives screaming at me, I've got creditors screaming at me, and there's a four figure income tax bill for the deceased due this week that I cannot pay.

@TheCaptainsLogFor heavens sake, probate via a solicitor really doesn’t cost that much. It’s a no brainer to get a professional to do it when you are not the sole beneficiary. You can charge the estate for your expenses but why work for free for 3 others? I’d make an appointment and go through it. They might find the gremlin and get further forward.

It really isn’t worth paying a solicitor … you still have to find all the info and paperwork to pass to them. The online application is fairly straightforward if the estate isn’t complicated … it’s just the long wait to process it.

I think that your experience of a solicitor losing an original will should maybe encourage people to check on the location of their wills. When my OH died at the start of the first lockdown we had bit of difficulty getting his original will, the solicitor had changed ownership and moved, we were told that because of lockdown they may not be able to enter the building where the wills were stored. Eventually they were able to get in and I asked them to forward my will at the same time.

I've done a fair amount of probates over the past few years. There's literally no rhyme nor reason with their processing times. It's like a random number generator how long they take. I've had some literally take a few days and all done and dusted within a couple of weeks. Others have taken months. No common features at all to indicate why - it's certainly nothing to do with size of estate, whether or not IHT is due, etc. and not due to queries/missing information either. I think it really is pot luck as to whose desk it lands on (or whose computer in-tray).

If the will was registered with the National Will Register, you'd be able to get them to search for it and provide you with a copy if you can demonstrate a valid reason https://www.nationalwillregister.co.uk/. I think it's pretty common for solicitors/will writers to lodge wills with the national register these days, but if it's an older will or a DIY will, it probably won't be registered.

Yep. I would also ensure you give a copy to each of your beneficiaries, or a trusted adult who is not named on the will at all.

in our case- will had been drawn up at home. Only the executor has a copy, no one knows what’s in it or who the beneficiaries are. My aunt is really struggling financially on her own and needs the money as she was completely dependent on her husband financially. She can’t pay her bills- she knows roughly how much money he had in savings but it’s all gone.

I submitted a formal complaint to HMCTS with regard to probate on my DM’s estate. I had requests for information which were completely nonsensical. This was in 2024 when there were considerable delays and I had the feeling that some of the staff I spoke to (there were many phone calls) were new to the role. My issue had been escalated, received an email asking for the same information I had already provided, complained, received another email asking the same thing and then 24 hours later probate granted with no explanation regarding the multiple requests for the same information, which I didn’t provide as the request made no sense.
@TheCaptainsLog hopefully your complaint will result in some action from HMCTS.

It can take well over a year, my Dads did

My husband was FIL’s executor and did it online about 3 weeks ago. Probate was granted in about 10 minutes and the paperwork arrived the next day. The estate was fairly straighforward and not over the threshold so maybe that was why?

iv been through this recently . Also with a lost original Will . It took nearly 9 months to come through , as they have to sent the application to the “lost Will department “ who quite clearly have a backlog and don’t do anything fast . We complained , nothing happened . Ended up getting our local MP involved who also helped chase this .
i recommend calling every week . Call at 9am on the dot and you will get straight through anything later you will be on hold for hours .

Get your local MP involved a they will contact the HMCTS directly and it does help .

@loveev Thanks for that, it's really helpful hearing from someone in the same position.

I've already had to get my MP involved in something in the last 12 months so she's probably sick of my name though (as well as useless).

There's a bit of an art to online chat but if you get past the robot it can be useful and you have a written record.
I fully agree with DIY rather than solicitors and you have done the majority of the work already. I would ring at least once a week, record the time of each call and the name of the person. Push to speak directly to a manager level person.

Applied August 2025. Straight spouse left everything to surviving spouse.

Had emails asking for documents previously provided multiple times.

Now been told the case has been referred to another department but they won’t divulge what/ why and wont give any information on the phone.

Anyone come across something similar?

Whole system isnt fit for purpose.

That’s unheard of … are you sure it’s the whole
thing?

I know that’s what we thought! My MIL’s took 9 months in 2021 so we were expecting similar this time round.

But he’s had the letters of administration (we had 3 copies) through and the bank and investment company both accepted them and released funds. And the online thing says Probate granted.

It did seem ridiculously easy compared to what’s happened before and what we’ve heard.