The Law Society of England and Wales has welcomed a recent decline in probate delays, but says more work needs to be done to ensure the system delivers as it should.

Latest figures from His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) show probate applications took an average of 9.3 weeks to process in July 2024, compared to 14 weeks in the same month last year. The number of applications processed also rose significantly – to 32,002, compared to 22,922 in the equivalent month in 2023.

Commenting on the statistics, Law Society president Nick Emmerson said: “The decrease in probate delays is promising, but more should be done. Delays to the probate service can be devastating for families and loved ones during their time of grief.”

He added that HMCTS was now making inroads into the backlog of cases, by issuing more probate applications each month than it received, and stressed the contribution of the Society’s Probate professional user group in providing guidance and feedback.

“It is reassuring that HMCTS is incorporating the recommendations we made to the Justice Select Committee’s inquiry into the probate service, such as the ability to track paper applications online, build staff capability and reduce the number of stopped applications,” Mr Emmerson said.

The news comes against the backdrop of a steady rise in inheritance disputes, with high property prices, especially in London and the Southeast, often fuelling family conflict.

More than 10,000 applications to stop probate being granted were made last year, a rise of 14 per cent on 2022.

Michael Henry, a senior associate at law firm Nockolds, told This Is Money: “With living standards having been squeezed there is a growing appetite from family members to challenge the validity of wills that leaves property to different beneficiaries.

“People are relying more heavily on inheritance to get on the property ladder or provide for them in retirement. If someone is left out of a will, or stands to inherit less than they were expecting, this can trigger a claim.”