From October 1st, solicitors will be able to apply for probate online according to according to a statutory instrument laid before parliament this week. Currently, only 28 firms are using the digital service . However, non-contentious probate rules have changed so that from October any solicitor or probate practitioner can apply for probate online without an invitation from a registry.

HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS), The Law Society, Solicitors for the Elderly and the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (Step) all met to discuss delays to grants of probate caused by technical issues. According to Step, HMCTS said that it is issuing around 20,000 grants a month, of which 12,000 to 13,000 are from practitioners. Grants are being processed in date order, oldest first, and that it does not prioritise grants according to urgency.

The Ministry of Justice said that widening access to online applications will significantly improve the service for legal practitioners and enable them to benefit from more accessible, economic and timely processing of probate applications. Redbrick Solutions Probate Case Management produce comprehensive Estate Accounts to STEP standards, ensuring you remain compliant and provide a high level of service to your clients. Built in risk management tools help guard against over distribution and multiple beneficiaries can be managed from one simple screen.

Significant time saving on complex form filling can be achieved with Redbrick Practice Management. IHT200 and 400 series are partially pre-populated for you. Produce income tax forms, apply for grant of representation and all other associated forms are completed at the click of a button. Saving you time, removing the risk of errors in re-keying information and enabling fee earners to work more efficiently, thus creating more productive time.

With so many different parties to communicate with in an average probate matter, Redbrick Practice Management makes it simple to send communication to multiple parties at the click of a button. With 2-way outlook integration, comprehensive document management, automatic SMS, e-mail and template letter production, the system will save you time and money and enabling you to communicate effortlessly with multiple beneficiaries, legatees, asset holders and liabilities.