Solicitors applying for a Grant of Probate on behalf of a client, are reporting problems and delays with the Probate Service, part of HM Courts and Tribunals.
The probate service has closed local offices and now uses regional bases to scan documents from people and solicitors who use the online form. At the same time, it has been adapting to the need for staff to work from home because of the coronavirus.
Solicitors must use the online system from this Friday – 6 November – however many are complaining about problems with the online service.
Probate practitioners trying to use the online system have reported problems with submitting the application and delays in the service scanning and uploading documents onto the system.
Probate should take around three weeks for the most straightforward cases, but HM Courts & Tribunals says executors should expect to wait about eight weeks due to delays caused by the pandemic. However, law firms are reporting that they are still waiting for probate to be granted on applications submitted in April and May.
Stalled house sales
Delays in obtaining probate is holding up house sales and causing housing chains to collapse.
All of this adds to the stress of the recently bereaved.
If you need help with probate, please call us on 01704 532 890.