Probate wait hits two months: Bereaved families facing long delays

Probate wait hits two months: Bereaved families facing long delays to gain control loved one’s finances

Probate applications should usually take ten days, but social distancing measures mean staff process forms remotely

Bereaved families are facing delays of up to two months to gain control loved one’s finances, solicitors have warned.

Probate applications should usually take ten days, but social distancing measures mean staff process forms remotely.

A grant of probate is the official document families need to take control of a loved one’s estate when they die and execute their will. 

Families were left waiting up to 14 weeks for probate last year after a proposed fee increase prompted a rush of applications.

The backlog was then made worse by the introduction of a new IT system set up by HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS).

HMCTS is allowing electronic signatures on forms to help speed things up.

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