Legal News | 2.11.23
Are you ready to play the waiting game?
We at Wansbroughs pride ourselves on being efficient. Our Private Client team strives to be responsive and to deal with matters efficiently; something reflected in our Legal 500 listing.
Unfortunately, sometimes efficiency on our part is not enough. When dealing with Grants of Probate and Lasting Powers of Attorney, there continue to be significant delays. We are often asked about timescales, which vary, but the latest guidance is as follows:
- Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration are usually issued within 16 weeks,* assuming that the Probate Registry does not request additional information, in which case the process takes longer.
- Lasting Powers of Attorney are usually registered within 20 weeks*.
What can be done?
Unfortunately, there is no way to fast track either application (albeit the Probate Registry may agree to expedite applications if the deceased exchanged contracts on a property purchase before their death).
For Grants of Probate and Letters of Administration, we suggest working with a solicitor to ensure that the relevant application is complete and includes all required information, leaving less chance for the Probate Registry to raise queries and prolong the process.
For Lasting Powers of Attorney, again, getting a solicitor involved may increase the turnaround time. This is for the simple reason that we are able to navigate the usual pitfalls when it comes to drafting Lasting Powers of Attorney, again giving the Office of the Public Guardian less scope to ask questions and increase the time taken to register your documents.
In addition, if you are contemplating putting Lasting Powers of Attorney in place, it is best to do so sooner rather than later so that they are registered and ready for use (after a prolonged registration process) well before they are needed.
If you require assistance with applications for a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration, or would like help with setting up Lasting Powers of Attorney, please contact us on 013880 733300 or wealth@wansbroughs.com.
*information taken from gov.uk.
