The latest family court statistics for England and Wales show 58,642 grants of were issued between July and September 2021, with a record number of 82% being made through the new digital application system, compared to only 46% in the same quarter in 2020.
The same period also saw an increase in the number of lasting powers of attorney, with just under 170,000 registered, 4% higher than the same quarter in 2020.
How long are the current Probate delays?
There are still delays between the application and subsequent Probate grant being issued, currently sitting at about nine weeks for probate, and even longer at ten to 12 weeks for letters of administration.
Why are there delays in the issuing of Probate grants?
Timeliness of grants issued can be affected if the case has been ‘stopped’ for any reason, such as when there’s a dispute about who can apply for probate, if any issues arise with a Will, or if an error is identified. Probate grants that were stopped during July to September 2021 took up to 15 weeks, on average, to be issued.
In the last quarter there was an increase in the length of time for grants to be issued, mainly due to previously ‘stopped’ cases as well as a backlog of work due to Covid related measures, which in turn reduced available resources to handle non-stopped cases.
Find out more
If you need any help with a Probate application, or would like any questions answered about the process, or Probate in general, then please contact our specialist team.
