HM Courts and Tribunals Services (HMCTS) latest figures reveal an average of over 5,000 Grants of Representation issued each week for the year to date. In the last 13 weeks alone, over 70,000 Grants have been issued (averaging over 5,400 per week). This means 2020 may see more Grants issued this year than any of the last 5 years.
Prior to last year, it would typically take the Probate Registry 10 days to grant Probate. However, following the transition of an IT system in January 2019, we were faced with significant delays of up to 14 weeks!
The backlog of applications, along with the tragic amount of lives claimed by COVID-19, will have had an impact on the HMCTS figures. The Office of National Statistics has stated that in the week ending 6 November 2020, the number of deaths registered was 14.3% above the five-year average.
New rules came into force earlier this month that mandate the use of an online system for Solicitors when submitting Probate applications. As such, the paper applications are no longer accepted, in an attempt to help modernise the service by reducing waiting times and saving money.
Unfortunately, the pandemic has caused further delays and the Probate Registry is currently advising that they are now working on personal applications around 5-6 weeks old and will endeavour to take these to grant as soon as possible.
If you have recently experienced a bereavement and need assistance with applying for a Grant of Representation, please do not hesitate to contact our specialised team.
