Ongoing delays with Probate applications

HMCTS confirms that there has been a slight increase in the time it has taken to issue probate grants during July 2023. The vast majority of grants that were issued had been submitted digitally.

It is an established pattern, that digital applications issued without any “stops” (requests for further information) are issued with a much shorter average wait time.  This highlights the importance of ensuring that the application is correct at the time of submission.

Some applications cannot be submitted digitally and unfortunately paper applications on average take significantly longer to be issued than the overall average wait, with stops further increasing the delay.

Lord Wills of Knaresborough questioned the ongoing delays in the House of Lords recently and suggested that applications which do not require further information could be issued using Artificial Intelligence,  This is apparently being considered according to Justice Minister Lord Bellamy.

Is it possible to avoid delays in Probate applications?

Taking expert advice minimises the likelihood of stops and gives your application the best chance of being issued without unnecessary delay. If you would like to speak to our team of Probate solicitors contact us on 0191 2503200 or email probate@browells.co.uk.