Although a decline in probate delays shows promising momentum in improving the probate process, more needs to be done, claims the Law Society of England and Wales.
HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) published its monthly management information on probate applications, which took an average of 9.3 weeks to process in July 2024, compared to 14 weeks in the same month last year. There were 32,002 applications processed, compared to 22,922 applications processed in the same month last year. Law Society president Nick Emmerson said:
“The decrease in probate delays is promising, but more should be done. Delays to the probate service can be devastating for families and loved ones during their time of grief.
New statistics show that HMCTS has issued more probate applications each month than it has received, allowing for a decline in outstanding caseload. The timeliness of processing these applications has improved and must continue improving.
The steps HMCTS has taken to address the issue of probate delays have largely come about through its regular engagement with our Probate professional user group. We are pleased to see that HMCTS has responded to the group’s feedback.”
Emmerson also said that it is also “reassuring “that HMCTS is incorporating the recommendations they made to the Justice Select Committee’s inquiry into the probate service, such as the ability to track paper applications online, build staff capability and reduce the number of stopped applications. He added:
”We welcome these essential changes and urge the government to maintain its current momentum in reducing delays to the probate service. Only then can families and loved ones have peace of mind.”
