From: Steve Worsfold at Sussex Will Writers 

PROBATE REGISTRY TIMESCALES FEBRUARY 2021

Timescales at the Probate Registry and for the Probate service overall have been fluctuating ever since the controversial announcement was made back in 2018 to increase the Probate Court fees; introducing a scale of fees dependent on the value of the estate. Inevitably this gave rise to an increased amount of applications as practitioners aimed to expedite the estates in order to pay the lower fees.

Thankfully, the proposed changes were abandoned in 2019 but unfortunately the surge in applications led to the increased timescales of 12-16 weeks for the following months and well into 2019. At the back end of 2019, widespread restructuring of the local Probate Courts and changes to IT systems were introduced, further aggravating already delayed timescales.

Unluckily, just as the Probate service was making progress to reduce timescales and stabilise matters, we were hit with the Covid-19 pandemic in Spring 2020 which continues through to the present day. Both HM Revenue & Customs and the Probate service were then faced with inevitable delays due to the reduction of staff, working from home and other measures put into place to safeguard members of staff from the ongoing pandemic. Throughout 2020 timescales for IHT400 cases were averaging 10-12 weeks with IHT205 cases seeing slightly shorter timescales of 8 weeks.

What is the current position in February 2021?

The Probate Registry have stated that their timescales for the release of the Grant of Representation are now averaging between 6-8 weeks, which is a small improvement on those observed previously. Into the coming months we hope to see the Probate Registry getting back on track and becoming ever closer to the pre-2018 timescales of 2-3 weeks, though inevitably this will depend on the number of deaths from Covid-19 and the effectiveness of the new online process to expedite matters.

If you are looking for advice on Probate,,call Sussex Will Writers in the first instance on:

Office: 01903 533681
Email: info@sussexwillwriters.co.uk

Or book a free Ask Steve session. Steve is available every Thursday between 10am – 12 midday to answer your questions about Probate or any other Will Writing and Estate Planning issue.

Probate Video Series 

Steve Worsfold shares his expertise about Probate and the benefits of using a Professional Probate Service – coming soon in our Series of Will Writing and Estate Planning videos. 

Could you do with some FREE, sound advice on:

• Writing a Will – What do I need and how much does it cost?
• Creating Lasting Powers of Attorney – If I was incapacitated who can act on my behalf?
• Property Protection Trusts – Can these really save Care Home Fees?
• Pre-Paid Funeral Plans – With so many to choose from how do I decide which plan is best?

There is so much confusion on these vital areas of estate planning, that sometimes just a chat with an expert in the field can clear up misunderstanding and set out the way ahead, without all the legal jargon.

Lasting Power of Attorney Video Series 

You can now view our Lasting Power of Attorney Video Series on our YouTube Channel 

There are 7 parts to the series, exploring topics such as:

1. What is Lasting Power of Attorney?
2. What happens if you don’t have Lasting Power of Attorney?
3. Is there anyone who doesn’t need a Lasting Power of Attorney?
4. How much does it cost to have a Lasting Power of Attorney?
5. What is included in a Lasting Power of Attorney?
6. Who can write a Lasting Power of Attorney?
7. What are the rules for writing a Lasting Power of Attorney?

Steve Worsfold
Affiliate Member of the Society of Will Writers
Advising on Wills/Trusts/Probate/Powers of Attorney

Mobile: 07734 744886
Office: 01903 533681
Email: steve@sussexwillwriters.co.uk
Website: www.sussexwillwriters.co.uk

Protecting What’s Precious to You,
Now and in the Future

Sussex Will Writers is proud to support Dementia Friends,
an initiative of The Alzheimers Society

Our business is certified ‘Safe to do business with’ and ‘Code compliant’
by the UK’s largest regulatory body for Will Writers, The Society of Will Writers.
Steve Worsfold has been an Affiliate Member of the Society for 15 years.