Probate Delays and the financial impact on Estates

The latest HMCTS management information report from April 2023 shows that the average waiting time from submission to the issue of the Grant of Probate or Letter of Administration is 13.2 weeks for online applications.

This shows that the waiting time has almost doubled in comparison to April 2022, when the average waiting time was 6.7 weeks. In cases where an online application cannot be made, we often see waiting times of almost 20 weeks for paper applications.

These lengthy waiting times are not only causing additional stress and frustrations to grieving families but the delays also have an impact on the inheritance of beneficiaries.

If the deceased owned property, then the property cannot be sold until a Grant of Probate or Letter of Administration has been issued. Longer waiting times mean that it will take longer to sell the property and this has further knock on effects.

Keeping a property in the Estate for longer will incur additional costs such as energy costs, maintenance costs, and property insurance. It can also mean that potential buyers are unwilling to wait and pull out of the sale due to the uncertainty of timing.

With the rising costs of running a property and house prices predicted to fall this year, a waiting time of around 13.2 weeks or longer for paper applications can have a serious financial impact on the inheritance for beneficiaries.

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