New probate procedure

Trusts Discussion
1

I’ve just been on today to prepare a new probate application in anticipation of reviewing both the legal statement and IHT400 with my client at one meeting.

However, I have discovered that I can’t complete the application without the code from HMRC. This means that I now have to prepare the IHT papers, meet with the client to sign them, wait for the code and then meet with the client again to sign the legal statement.

Whilst I appreciate the desire for the probate registry to avoid premature applications surely this is just making the process even more painful and drawn out and potentially more expensive for the client.

Anyone got a work around or am I missing something?

Thanks

2

No, you are not missing anything. That is the process we now have to follow. They could at least design it so that the legal statement could be prepared but not submitted until the code arrives, but apparently that was not to be.

3

This is indeed the procedure…you couldn’t write it as the saying goes.