With continued delays in issuing of grants and proposals for increasing court fees for grant applications, we and our clients will welcome the news that the House of Commons Justice Select Committee has launched an inquiry into the performance of the Probate Registry.
Recent figures revealed that the average wait time for a grant to be issued stood at 14 weeks, although many applications (particularly those that must be submitted on paper rather than online) can take a lot longer to be issued, especially if they are ‘stopped’ for any reason. Although the Probate Registry expects the average wait time to fall to eight weeks by the end of the first quarter next year, we hope this inquiry will assess the reasons for the significant delays and help towards streamlining all applications, including the complex ones.
Another issue the inquiry will look at is the effectiveness of the online portal and whether application fees are set at the right level. The Ministry of Justice has recently launched a consultation on increasing the grant of probate application fee from £273 to £300 for estates valued at over £5,000 from 2024, with further routine increases every two years. Until January 2022, the application fee was £155 for probate practitioners and £215 for personal applications.
We also welcome the news that the inquiry will look at whether there is sufficient support for the bereaved during the estate administration process and how effectively they are protected from ‘rogue traders’.
Probate Solicitors Near Me
At Gordons Partnership, our experts in the Private Wealth Department are here to guide and support you through the grant application process. We are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and committed to abiding by their strict Code of Conduct, so you can rest assured that we will always act in your best interest.
Our private client solicitors have a wealth of knowledge in various aspects of Wills and estate planning matters, including trusts, powers of attorneys, court of protection, deputyship matters and estate administration following death.
To speak to an experienced lawyer today, please call 01483 451 900 (Guildford), 020 7421 9421 (London) or email sols@gordonsols.co.uk.
Read some more of our private client articles here:
- Powers of Attorney: Digitalising LPAs
- What are the rights and responsibilities of the attorney in a Health & Welfare LPA?
- What is involved in estate administration after a death?
About the Author
Habiba Ahmed
Associate
- Tel: 01483 451 900
- Email: habiba@gordonsols.co.uk