We understand that in some cases, the Probate Journey can feel like it’s never ending. That being said, it is an undeniable fact that Probate Administration is affected by the remote nature of the organisations we collaborate with.
What can cause delays?
Consolidating date of death values, assets & liabilities, closure form information, tax assessments and more, all take time and we understand families are impacted by this.
There are backlogs within the Probate system and chasing is ineffective as estate matters are added to the end of the queue and have to forward without prioritisation.
Unfortunately, no amount of pressure will speed the process up.
With these complexities in mind, our teams work closely with you to streamline the Probate Journey as best as we can, whilst ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
Acknowledging the Impact of Unavoidable Delays
We understand that families are dealing with loss and, we understand that clients become more and more frustrated and upset by the length of time it takes to progress probate. Unfortunately, in some instances it’s not always easy to recruit and retain experienced probate lawyers so, at times staff work under extreme pressure and delays do occur.
While we at RightProbate make every effort not to cause distress to our clients, when delays do occur or if an error is made our team can often be on the receiving end of demands that don’t help us to resolve the situation. In such cases it is so important for us all to have patience and understanding whilst we work as quick as we can to resolve the matter.
The role of the Ombudsman is to impartially support a reasonable resolution between the parties and does not act for a complainant. The recently revised scheme rules allows the Ombudsman to dismiss certain complaints and, they expect complainants to demonstrate reasonable consideration when a compensation offer is made. Scheme rule 5.7 can be viewed here.
Managing your expectations
To manage expectation, the following schedule of compensations applies where there is evidence of significant avoidable delays and errors.
Complaint Evidence
Delays of 3 to 6 Months
Avoidable Delay of 6 to 8 Months
Avoidable Delay of 9 to 14 Months
Evidence of series of significant errors
Evidence of series of significant lack of communication
Maximum compensation at Final Response
Compensation
£100.00
£200.00
£400.00
£100.00
£100.00
£750.00
Complaint Evidence
Compensation – £100
Compensation – £200
Compensation – £400
Compensation – £100
Compensation – £100
Compensation – £750
Your legal advisor will be there throughout the complaints process, so don’t hesitate to contact them when necessary and be aware that it may take up to 7 working days before you receive a response. Complaints are responded to within 8-weeks. While it can be frustrating to wait for a response, we kindly request that you remain patient and polite in all communications. This allows for a more productive and efficient resolution process.
