Editor, Solicitors Journal

Online probate service launched

2 Oct 2019News

A national pilot allowing legal professionals to access an online probate service is being rolled out by HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS).

From 1 October, online applications can be made for any probate, intestacy or a grant of letters of administration. The service for caveats will, however, remain a paper application for now.

The online service will allow law firms to manage their own account on the system; view their probate applications in a single dashboard; and monitor the stages of their applications online, removing the need to phone HMCTS for updates.

Applications can be submitted any time of the day and will be instantly uploaded to the system.

HMCTS said only the original will and inheritance tax (IHT) documentation need to be sent to the probate service.

These will be scanned in and automatically attached to the relevant case.

Legal professionals must have a pay-by-account (PBA) account to use the new service, enabling them to use the HMCTS fee account system to pay for online applications. Once signed up, they can manage their accounts and start their online probate applications.

More than 50 firms have taken part in the development of the service using real cases to test and provide feedback on the system.

Chair of the Law Society’s wills and equity committee Ian Bond and his firm, Talbots Law, have been part of the pilot from the outset.

He said: “The digitisation of the process to apply for the grant of representation means that in most uncontested applications the online service has made the system much easier for our solicitors and a better experience for our clients.”

“While the online system started with applications where a will existed, it has developed and will continue to be developed to cover a broader range of applications in the future. We look forward to working with HMCTS for the continued development and welcome the fact that more solicitors can join the scheme and see the benefits it brings to the firm and its clients,” he added.

The Law Society has stressed that the online probate service is not yet a finished system and called for legal professionals to send feedback on it to probatefeedback@justice.gov.uk.

Meanwhile, HMCTS apologised for the delays that are being experienced with the probate service and has told the Law Society it is “working on reducing the waiting times and are committed to bringing them back to normal levels as soon as possible”.

The Society said it is continuing to engage with HMCTS to deal with these delays.

Legal News desk contact: editorial@solicitorsjournal.com

Latest Articles

Agent signatures fail for trust declarations

Court of Appeal rules that declarations of trust over land must be personally signed to satisfy statutory formalities

The UK anti-corruption strategy: pillar one in focus

How the UK’s latest Anti-Corruption Strategy seeks to disrupt corrupt networks, incentivise whistleblowers, and strengthen enforcement

CD&R Galaxy UK Opco Limited fined £33,438

CD&R Galaxy UK Opco Limited has agreed to a financial penalty and investigation costs following regulatory breaches identified by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Using US discovery to support English litigation

How Section 1782 offers a powerful, underused route to obtain US-based evidence for foreign proceedings

FCA priorities and predictions for 2026

A forward-looking assessment of the FCA’s recent focus and what FS regulatory lawyers can expect in the year ahead

Why judge-only trials won’t fix court backlogs

Proposals to curb jury trials risk fairness, worsen delays, and ignore the real causes of Crown Court backlogs

Regulatory progress under Martyn’s Law

Ronnie Megaughin reflects on his experience as Interim Executive Director and shares the important developments made in the regulation of Martyn’s Law over the past six months

International taskforce unveils bribery indicators

The Serious Fraud Office and Five Eyes nations release guidance to identify foreign bribery indicators for businesses

Government appoints interim commissioners to EHRC

The Government has appointed Ali Harris and Professor Shazia Choudhry as interim commissioners at the EHRC while new commissioners are recruited

Joey Barton: where online speech becomes criminal

The sentencing clarifies how courts are drawing limits on free expression in the digital age

Impecuniosity, mitigation and credit hire on appeal

The High Court clarifies the limits of impecuniosity and appellate restraint in challenges to credit hire awards

Lawyer reflects on New York courts

A London lawyer shares insights from his visit to a busy New York City Criminal Court

Employers face potential legal issues

As Christmas parties approach, employers must be aware of increasing legal risks stemming from festive events

Thousands to benefit from legal support

The Deputy Prime Minister announced nearly £20 million funding aimed at improving access to legal services for vulnerable individuals

The UK’s cautious path on AI

The UK is pursuing AI growth through regulatory sandboxes, avoiding prescriptive rules while testing how existing laws apply

SJ Interview: Joelle Grogan

Dr Joelle Grogan is a legal scholar specialising in the rule of law in times of crisis. She presents The Law Show on BBC Radio 4, and is Co-Academic Director of the Rule of Law Clinic at the CEU Democracy Institute (Budapest), and a Senior Research Fellow at the UCD Sutherland School of Law. Her work focuses on constitutional accountability, emergency powers, and legal misinformation. In this interview, she examines the pressures facing the rule of law in the UK, from executive power and court delays to media narratives, emergencies, and the impact of AI on legal practice.

Justice reform risks targeting the wrong fix

As 2026 approaches, ministers eye jury trials while ignoring deeper causes of England’s criminal justice crisis