Updated 2 December 2019: STEP met HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) this week, together with The Law Society, and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
HMTCS provided the following update on the Probate Service:
Timeframe
For personal applications HMCTS is now issuing grants in less than four weeks.
For professional applications grants are being issued within two to three weeks.
HMCTS issued 11,390 grants in the first two weeks of November.
HMCTS has identified that 16 per cent of stops are caused by a pending IHT421 and 11 per cent of stops are due to a missing death certificate.
The new online system will help to identify the reasons for other stops in due course.
Online system
HMCTS is promoting the use of its online system and is keen to see increased professional uptake. It is also looking at introducing a new paper form in the new year. Once introduced there will a transitional period to enable firms to implement.
The online service for Welsh applications will be implemented in the new year.
Customer Service
From 2 December 2019 the CTSC customer service centre will be open from 8am-8pm Monday-Friday and from 8am-2pm on Saturday.
If you continue to have issues with a probate application please contact HMCTS by email: probatefeedback@justice.gov.uk
Alternatively, contact STEP’s Policy Team and we will direct you to someone at CTSC who can assist.
STEP will continue to meet with HMCTS regularly next year to discuss future changes to the service and feedback from the industry.
