To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.

View sample alert

Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Select Committee
Letter from Sir Robert Neill MP KC (Hon), Chair, Justice Committee to Mike Freer MP, Minister for Courts and Legal Services, dated 23 May 2024, regarding Probate

Correspondence May. 24 2024

Committee: Justice Committee (Department: Ministry of Justice)

Found: Prior to 2017, the probate service worked.

Written Question
Probate
Tuesday 21st May 2024

Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of (a) staffing levels and (b) staff training on the time taken to process probate applications in each of the last 12 months.

Answered by Mike Freer

HM Courts & Tribunals Service recruited 100 full time equivalent (FTE) staff between June 2022 and June 2023 for the probate service. HMCTS are now holding staffing levels at around 280 FTE compared to 153 FTE in March 2020. This is to maintain the increased volume of grants being issued and providing capacity for a rolling training programme to build the capability of the workforce.

More recent Management Information published by HMCTS shows the average mean length of time taken for a grant of probate (following receipt of the documents required) reduced by 3 weeks in March 2024 compared to February 2024. The average timeliness for cases completing in March was 9 weeks.

Official statistics show that the average time (median) from application submission to grant issue for all grant types was 11.0 weeks in 2023 (mean average time was 13.9 weeks). From the document receipt to grant issue the median average time was 8.7 weeks (mean average time 12.0).

Despite the probate service receiving record levels of applications during 2023 the open workable caseload (cases not waiting for more information from the applicant) has reduced by 30,500 cases since August 2023 and currently stands at 37,406 in March 2024.

Non-Departmental Publication (Research)
Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency

May. 23 2025

Source Page: NICTS Quarterly Provisional Figures January to March 2025.
Document: (PDF)

Found: .  1,956 grants issued in the Probate office. • Family Division business included –  Receipt of 19

Select Committee
Fraser and fraser
 PRO0064 - Probate

Written Evidence May. 08 2024

Inquiry: Probate
Inquiry Status: Closed
Committee: Justice Committee (Department: Ministry of Justice)

Found: , and expertise to process applications for probate, including complex probate, in a timely manner

Select Committee
Ministry of Justice, and HM Courts and Tribunals Service

Oral Evidence May. 21 2024

Inquiry: Probate
Inquiry Status: Closed
Committee: Justice Committee (Department: Ministry of Justice)

Found: , because it depends on whether you are a member of staff in a probate registry, for example, who

Select Committee
Chartered Institute of Taxation
 HCSA0004 - HMRC Customer Service and Accounts 2023-24

Written Evidence Nov. 28 2024

Committee: Public Accounts Committee

Found: norm’ and suggests deeper-rooted problems such as a lack of adequately trained and inexperienced staff

Select Committee
The Law Society of England and Wales
 WCC0094 - Work of the County Court

Written Evidence Mar. 04 2025

Inquiry: Work of the County Court
Inquiry Status: Closed
Committee: Justice Committee (Department: Ministry of Justice)

Found: and tribunals, one of which was the damages claims portal (the others being family public law and probate

Select Committee
The Law Society of England and Wales
 WCC0094 - Work of the County Court

Written Evidence Mar. 04 2025

Inquiry: Work of the County Court
Inquiry Status: Closed
Committee: Justice Committee (Department: Ministry of Justice)

Found: and tribunals, one of which was the damages claims portal (the others being family public law and probate

Non-Departmental Publication (Statistics)
Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service

Nov. 29 2024

Source Page: NICTS Quarterly Provisional Figures July to September 2024
Document: (PDF)

Found: . 1,649 grants issued in the Probate office .

Select Committee
Lawson West Solicitors
 PRO0071 - Probate

Written Evidence May. 14 2024

Inquiry: Probate
Inquiry Status: Closed
Committee: Justice Committee (Department: Ministry of Justice)

Found: PRO0071) I have been working in private client law for approximately 20 years and specialise in Probate