Improvements to MyHMCTS for probate practitioners
The digital service for probate practitioners on MyHMCTS has granted over 60,000 applications since 2019. Moving applications for probate online meant that we were able to continue granting applications during the pandemic.
In the past year, probate practitioners have continued to give us feedback on how we can improve the service and we have been listening. Today, I am writing to inform you of improvements to the service from 19 August 2021.
Improvements to the service
- Trust Corporations will be able to apply for a Grant of Probate using MyHMCTS
- New prompts will clearly identify the title of the executor, including partners, members, shareholders and directors in a firm or successor firm
- Other prompts provide clearer options to account for executors that are not applying for probate, reducing the potential for cases to be stopped
- All parts of an application can now be amended before submission, including the probate practitioners’ details
- Applications where only a notarial copy or a court sealed copy of the will is available can now be made through MyHMCTS
- Improved title and clearing wording on the legal statement
- The legal statement itself can now be signed, including with a digital signature, by a practitioner on behalf of their client and any of the applying executors.
- The legal statement can be uploaded to their application through their MyHMCTS dashboard or sent by post
- The legal statement will automatically contain the names of the applying executors and practitioner
- The requirement to send a death certificate of any pre-deceased executors has ended
- A system error that led to practitioner details being overwritten in the application has been fixed
Important next steps and guidance
In order to prepare for these changes, we’re encouraging users to check their MyHMCTS dashboard and either submit cases or read the guidance on deleting unsubmitted cases for those that are no longer valid.
Any applications that are not submitted, or are unable to be submitted, before the change on 19 August will not be able to progress and a new application will need to be created.
If you are unable to fully submit your application to HMCTS before 19 August, you should wait for the change to go live before starting your probate application on MyHMCTS.
Sharing feedback
We are always keen to hear from practitioners and welcome feedback on the improvements we are making to the service. Please write to [email protected] to share your thoughts on the changes, suggest further areas for enhancement or notify us of technical issues. If contacting us with a technical issue please provide screen shots when possible.
For issues relating to a specific probate application, please contact [email protected] directly to avoid any delay in resolving your enquiry.
Adam Lennon
Deputy Director and Service Owner, HM Courts & Tribunals Service