Browell Smith & Co offering new online probate system

Browell Smith & Co has been selected as one of the UK’s first law firms to offer a new national online probate system, which the Government hopes will help to end the long delays that are currently blighting the probate service.

Throughout 2019, people seeking grants of probate have faced lengthy delays – in some cases several months.

This has been made worse by ongoing closures to regional probate register offices as part of a £1bn Government scheme to centralise all probate activity and applications. The Birmingham probate register office was the first to go, in August, in a move which saw even more applications being diverted to the already-strained Newcastle office.

Eventually, all probate applications will be handled in a single, national location which will deny most members of the public the chance to attend their nearest regional probate registry in person.

New online probate system

It’s not all bad news, though: following a successful pilot period, the Government is rolling out a scheme that will allow specialist probate solicitors to access an online probate service.

Browell Smith & Co has been selected as one of the first firms to have access to this service, which means that anyone who used Browell Smith & Co for their probate application will still have access to the personal touch that is so important at such a challenging time.

As for the delays in the system, the Government says it has increased the rate at which it is issuing grants. The online system will reduce the amount of paperwork and, in time, help to reduce the backlog, too. If you have any concerns about your probate application, we are only ever phone call away and will be happy to put your mind at rest.

Remember: Browell Smith & Co doesn’t charge a percentage of the estate

Some solicitor firms charge an hourly rate while others charge a fee that is a percentage of the value of the estate. Some charge both an hourly rate and a percentage of the estate.

Browell Smith & Co does not believe in charging a client more simply because an estate is worth more: this is why we do not charge a percentage of the estate value. You can read more about how we calculate and estimate our costs here.

For more information about our new online wills and probate service, or to talk to us about your probate requirements, you can contact our expert team today to arrange a no-obligation chat at any of our offices, in Newcastle, Cramlington, Ashington and Sunderland, or alternatively telephone our team directly  0191 691 3417 to discuss your particular requirements.