New online service ‘to streamline grant of probate applications’

All non-contentious probate applications where there is a will in place must now be made online.

The service, known as MyHMCTS, was set up by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to streamline applications, enabling probate professionals to issue, pay for and manage applications within civil and family courts and tribunals. It went live on 2 November.

An MoJ spokesperson said it enables probate professionals to submit applications at any time of day, monitor the progress of cases and receive notifications of developments.

Adam Lennon, Deputy Director and Probate Service Owner, said: “The COVID-19 outbreak has proved the importance of the online probate system in providing a modern and reliable service for probate professionals who are submitting around 180,000 applications each year either on behalf of individuals or as executors in their own right.

“We have been pleased by the feedback that we have received so far on the service and we believe the time is now right to mandate the use of MyHMCTS. It’s secure, reduces errors and improves processing times allowing us and probate professionals to provide members of the public with a high-quality service at challenging times in their personal lives.”

Please contact Nicki Denton-Masih if you would like advice about any aspect of wills and probate.