Probate - do you have recent experience?

Yes mil probate was straightforward and all done on line. She died a year ago but probate forms only completed in Jan of this year. Three executors in total but Dh filled in all necessary info on line. It took exactly the length of time it said on gov site. All monies distributed as per will in June 22. Cant fault system.

Squeezed probate can take months even with a straight forward will. So don't expect it sorted out any time soon. It all depends on the solicitor and department that deals with probates. Also what part of the country you are in. I would expect it to take 6 months. Great if it's less but that has been my experience.

I applied on-line recently. Was very straightforward to do but in my experience the 8 week period quoted is incorrect. I waited 11 weeks, rang them up, spoke to someone who was very disinterested, so asked my MP for help. Sorted in two days then. All Government departments hate MP involvement.

I did it for my mum online. We didn’t have a house to sell and it was done very quickly. It took less than 8 weeks.

Unfortunately, I've had very recent, and indeed again ongoing experience here.
In my first experience, probate took a year to sort out because the DWP held everything up.
Then my second was about the same length of time as monies were found which no-one knew were there!
The third is currently ongoing. Everything was handed over to the solicitor about three months ago, but probate only started this last couple of weeks, so I suppose we wait and see...

I have had recent experience with my parents’ Wills; my father’s took 16 weeks, my mother’s 12.
Very straight forward Wills so I have no idea why it took so long.

I have never really understood probate; but did not need it when OH died. I presume this was because everything was in joint names.

Yes, I had to get probate for DH'S estate. I hired a solicitor to do the work as I was not confident about some of the legalities. I started the procedure in mid December last year and had the deed of probate in the first week of January. I was told it could take eight weeks but with a professional doing the work it went smoothly.
It turned out to be necessary as a lot of institutions would not release funds without proof of probate and my financial advisor demanded the deed too.

I don't understand why my experience shows that probate is so much longer than everyone else's.
There's me thinking that a year was a standard length of time, but clearly not.
Perhaps I'm misunderstanding what probate means, in that we gave all the info to the solicitor, and a few weeks later she told us that everything had 'gone to probate' but perhaps she meant that everyone who needed one had a copy of the deed of probate.
All I know is that it took a while before everything was sorted out and received.
It's a bit depressing that we're having to go through it all again so soon.

I think it depends on how long it takes to collate all the required information before submitting for probate. Our solicitors were, and still are, completely useless at communicating.
My father died nearly 2 years ago, my mother 21 months ago and still their wills are finalised. That’s with pretty straightforward wills!
I’m fed up with chivvying them along.

I know there were hold ups during the pandemic and I am relieved I was spared them when DH died.
He died in November and I handed everything over to our solicitor before the end of the month. There was a slight hiccup because although I had authorised photocopies of our wills, the originals had disappeared into storage somewhere else and needed to be tracked down,
Christmas intervened but probate was still granted round about the end of January.
Totally straightforward. And the bill was round about £1000 as I remember.
OK we could have saved that but it would certainly have taken longer.

At the hight of Covid mum passed away (not from Covid)
Not complicated Will, we had everything to hand when filling in the paperwork, we applied on line it was very straightforward .. Within 15 mins or so.. Return email "Granted" paperwork, shocked! arrived following week.
From comments and others experience very unusual but can happen quickly.

When my ex husband died, about 5 years ago, our son was an executor and did it all online himself and it was very quick and efficient. No Solicitor involved. And it was a home-made will, but no problems arose. I was amazed.

I did probate when I was widowed, almost straightforward but was still stressful. Took around 6 weeks and then I had to go and swear an oath. Hence my dying tidy files for my AC

My husband died in February 2021. It took about 8 months because the Solicitors I had were a bit slow but there were some complications as his half of our Home was left in trust for our daughters.

I lost my Mum Aug 21; the will was held with a Solicitor and it took exactly one year for everything to be concluded; when probate was applied for the solicitor advised us there was a back log; it was finally granted in Jan of this year. Keep strong, it will sort it's self out.

You have my sympathy Squeeze.
Probate took 3 months for me earlier this year.

I didn't use a solicitor as the costs were horrendous particularly for changing the house deeds. I sent all the documents off to land Registry August 4th 2022.
After hearing nothing back I rang them yesterday.

Conversation went:
MEG. I am calling for progress on case no. xxx
Land Registry Lady: Yes that file has not been allocated to case worker yet
MEG: But I thought it took 3-5 weeks?
LRL: I don't know where you got that from...
MEG: It's on your website....
LRL: It must not have been updated
MEG: It was updated on 4/10/20222 -it says so at the top...
LRL: Oh.... we have a backlog of 1.5 million applications to get through.
MEG: OK. I will clear the paperwork from my dining room table if it's not happening anytime soon.
LRL: I will put a priority sticker on it and will give it to a case handler to see if I can get it chivvied along a bit.
MEG: Thanks.

Lovely Land Registry Lady, but I could distinctly hear Escape to the Country playing on the telly in the background as she talked.

I think this country has been very badly served by it's Civil Servants during Covid and it's aftermath.

Roll on 2023.
Meg.

A simple probate should be done in a few weeks, it it’s more complicated and solicitors are involved there will be no rush, the deadline is 2 yrs unless extended

There is no legal time limit for applying for probate

I did this in January this year following the death of my MIL. Straightforward as only savings - house had been sold before she entered a care home.

Took less time than the website intimated - around four weeks

Notsoold27

There is no legal time limit for applying for probate

If it’s more than 2 yrs you have to request an extension.
If there were no rules nobody would submit anything.

By the way a will can be contested by anyone who thinks they have a claim up until 2 years after the person has died. So if you make or change a will please use a solicitor and they will help you make it water tight. Especially if you have relatives who you do not want to profit from your death.

Hi. Our late Dads probate took about 6/7 months. Even though relatively straightforward. Had legal will etc. The only problem was the solicitor Mum & Dad used for their will didn't have Mums maiden name on. So, solicitor Dad used for his new will when Mum passed had to do something about that. All 3 of us were executors so all got emails to be signed several times * Make sure you read & reply with exact wording Probate ask*. Whoops...I didn't on one & all 3 of that particular one had to be redone. Luckily my siblings know I'm not tech minded plus I'm poorly so they were kind lol however it's a legal document & probate need you to write exactly as asked. Ppl think if a legal will left it's going to be quick. No. Sorry it isn't. Probate have to be satisfied we weren't just 3 strangers who had possibly bullied a vulnerable elderly man. Dad wasn't vulnerable but so many are. Hence why takes so long. Had to see all our legal documents of who we were via solicitors. It's a good thing. Dad died last March & we've just managed to close his British Gas account this week. That's been worse than probate. GL x

My husband died in October. We had a straightforward will. I’m still waiting for probate
The DWP and his work pension schemes were informed by ‘tell me once’ but I’ve had endless repeat correspondence and hung on 40 mins on several occasions with the DWP. Usually with unhelpful staff
The works pension should be straightforward, I’ve not had a penny. Thank goodness if savings to pay funeral and Christmas expenses.
I fear for women with no previous experience of managing banks, bills etc.