All probate sub-registries face total closure by the end of the first quarter of the year.
According to the Gazette, HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) aims to close the remaining 18 sub-registries by the end of March, subject to a consultation.
In August, HMCTS confirmed the closure of Birmingham’s District Probate Registry will be the first registry with all ongoing applications being handled by their new Courts & Tribunals Service Centres (CTSCs).
Probate work had been slowly moving away from the Birmingham Registry Office since March 2019 with all digital applications moving to the new CTSC.
In a letter from HMCTS’ chief executive, Susan Acland-Hood outlined the move to new CTSCs ‘as part of the HMCTS Reform Programme to modernise courts and tribunals,’ adding that ‘the probate service is becoming a digitally-enabled national service.’
The letter confirmed that the closure meant the Birmingham public counter will also close but there were no redundancies as staff working from the Birmingham Registry Office were re-purposed with new jobs within HMCTS.
The imminent closures are part of the government’s £1 billion court reforms. The ‘Transforming our Justice System’ has already witnessed many probate services and divorce services migrating online with technology creating a driving force at ensuring legal services cater to the needs of the modern consumer.
However, the threat of registry closures, implementation of a new computer system and increases in application caused huge delays last summer with many fearing fresh delays could be caused by multiple closures in the opening quarter of the year.
The Gazette has also confirmed that The Law Society will meet with HMCTS by the end of January in order to gain greater clarity on the situation.
As the sector finally recovers from the extensive delays, new speed bumps and changes could cause more disruption moving forward.
How disruptive would the closure of the remaining sub-registries be to the sector?
One Response
The article in yesterday’s Law Society Gazette suggested that the closures were subject to a consultation. Does anyone have any information about this, what the terms of the consultation are and how to get involved?