Delays to probate applications have declined in recent months according to new statistics, but as the industry celebrates Free Wills Month, one wills specialist insists officials are still not doing enough to eliminate the “unacceptable” backlog.
Six months after lambasting “appalling” cuts to phone lines services at the probate office, Carl Christensen, founder of online, solicitor-checked service FreeWills, believes flaws in the system are continuing to compound people’s grief.
Now, he has called upon the industry to harness the power of technology – particularly Artificial Intelligence (AI) – to help reduce upsetting administrative delays.
FreeWills was established in 2018 with a simple mission to create a positive impact that benefits both legacy donors and a wide range of charities. The service allows individuals to create their own bespoke, fully legal will, for free, from the comfort of their own home.
It has helped over 100,000 people write their wills to date.
Christensen has spoken out to mark Free Wills Month, a collaboration between charities and solicitors which allows over-55s to write and update their will completely free of charge. He said:
“Whilst the new probate statistics are to be cautiously welcomed, inefficiencies in the system are still causing needless distress for people who are already going through the trauma of loss.”
Months have passed since we first raised these issues. Are officials doing enough to address them? I would suggest not,” Christensen says.
Too many people are in limbo, in some cases struggling to make ends meet, all whilst coming to terms with the shock and upset of bereavement. It’s imperative that the pace of change is ramped up asap.”
Probate applications took an average of 9.3 weeks to turn around in July this year vs. an alarming 14 weeks in July 2023. The bare facts remain shocking, and some, such as families of those with shares in UK plcs, face waits of up to a year to liquidate their loved ones’ interest.
