Probate information for Solicitors 11/02/2020

  • 11/02/2020

Adam Lennon

Probate Service Owner

HM Courts & Tribunals Service

10th February 2020

Dear Customer,

Probate online services for solicitors who are executors

In October 2019, we launched the online probate service for legal professionals representing executors for any probate, intestacy or admon will application including the ability to apply for a caveat online. Since then we have had over 698 firms sign up to use our digital services via ‘MyHMCTS’.

I am pleased to tell you that we have added another new feature for professional users: the ability to apply for a grant of probate application online if you are an executor.

The benefits of applying online

Firms using the new online service will no longer need to complete a paper statement of truth and can:

  • input information and manage their own account on the system
  • view all their probate applications on a single dashboard
  • monitor the stages of their applications online, removing the need to phone us for updates.

The ability to input information directly will help to minimise errors and increase the speed of processing applications.

How to use the new service

If you are already signed up to the new service via ‘MyHMCTS’ then there is no action to take and the new option to make the application as an executor will appear on your account.

If you haven’t already signed up to use the new service then please note that legal professionals must have a Payment by Account (PBA) account, which will allow use of the HMCTS Fee Account system to pay for online applications.

To set up a PBA account, go to: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/form-fee-account-application-form-fee-account-customer-application-form.

To sign up for the online probate service go to: https://register-org.platform.hmcts.net.

Once registered to use the service, you will have the ability to manage your account and invite individuals within your organisation to create their own accounts at https://register-org.platform.hmcts.net.

When account holders wish to issue a new application, or manage an existing case you will need to use this link: https://manage-case.platform.hmcts.net.

Videos on how to use the probate online system are on YouTube. Go to: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JAWB46heeSg&list=PLORVvk_w75PyfRxKxNYG2DKfYeOlt79dR.

Help and support 

You can view a webinar about the service on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hmcts-reform-online-event-4-july-2019-probate.

We plan to run some new webinars this year to ensure legal professionals wishing to use our services remain fully supported.

If you have a query while applying for a probate online, including on intestate cases, please call 0300 303 0648.

Further information

If you would like further information about our work to create a simplified online probate service, please email [email protected].

Yours faithfully,

Adam Lennon