Newcastle District Probate Registry reviews

The HMCTS Probate Helpline is not fit for service. Wait times well over an hour. An overloaded telephone system that yesterday was cutting calls off at 18 minutes. The limited staff that do exist are overworked and cannot cope. …

Can’t even put in to words how disgraceful this service. We have been waiting 4 months and still nothing. We keep getting asked the same question then going to the bottom of the pile “which then takes six weeks” You can’t ring up as they …

To call this place a disgrace is too kind a description for such an abhorrent and negligent organisation. Their claim that the grant of probate will be received within 8 weeks of papers being submitted is an outright lie, it is closer to 20 …

They dont answer the phone or emails. An excellent vote winner for the Tories at the next elections

absolutely shocking!! have lost all my documents. not fit for purpose. needs a complete overhaul. poor AO ,s trying to help hindered as usual by idiots higher up who have replaced a perfectly good service with a pitiful digital system …

Further to my last review – after ringing every day Monday to Friday I finally got through on my 26th attempt of the day, to be told my application had just been processed! …

This place is answerable to no one. They don’t do their jobs properly and you can’t complain to anyone. Not fit for purpose.

Clearly not fit for purpose. Almost 2 hrs spent this morning and another hour this afternoon on the telephone. Constantly engaged all day but lines close at 4pm. Application sent in July to then be told in September that Death Certificate …

Sent a will to be deposited, but received 3 incorrect pieces of paper: Name spelt wrong on envelope and certificate of deposit. Undated and unaddressed covering letter referred to an application to withdraw a will (not deposit). Typical of the public sector today – it hardly fills you with confidence!

You people whose probate application has arrived at the Probate Office are the lucky ones. Our application hasn’t even arrived there. It’s been sent by the tax office three times and has disappeared each time. The tax office and the probate …

I sent my application to Oxford, who transferred it to Newcastle. Neither office informed me of the transfer. After 2.5 months of silence I phoned to inquire what the problem was. They were waiting for a form from HMRC. If HMRC did not …

Absolutely appalling service. I sent an application to Birmingham & only found out, having it up chased myself, after 28 days, that it had been transferred to Newcastle. I appreciate a new computer system has caused delays but then to find …

We applied for Probate on the 28th May, Unfortunately we didn’t have the original will, we were informed on the 7th July by letter of this. But never received the letter. we found out when we rang Original will was found and we sent it on …

Would give 0 stars , My uncle rang for an hour and a half and was asked to asnwer the sexuirty questions as soon as he did she ended the phone …..its vile the fact they treat people like this when you have lost a loved one and just want this all to be over

The phone is constantly engaged.

UPDATE. After 4 months wait I finally managed to speak with the Manchester …

I have tried time and time again to get through to someone, I have spent over 2.5hrs on their hold line waiting to speak to someone. They put the phone down so you can’t ever get through! I have also emailed, and still no response! Terrible.

Posted a Statement of Truth signed by executors on 11th May in order to obtain copies of the Grant of Representation. 3 months later, no Grant of Representation and no response to previous email, or to subsequent letter asking about …

We are purchasing a house and our vendor had to.apply for grant of probate. It was submitted on 12th August and our elderly vendor is still waiting, which is holding up our purchase of her house. We moved out of our family home in July into …

I sent my forms to Birmingham on 27th April 2019 and after 2 months decided to email to find out what the delay was, only to be told the forms were in Newcastle. Theres an automated phone system or no one answers there. Emailed Newcastle …

To what others have said below, yes, the phones are always engaged/no answer, but try ringing any probate office, they’re all the same. However the staff when you call in are incredible! Very patient and understanding not only with me but …

zero stars so far….are but no…you can’t rate them as zero (very convenient!)…..lost the application (oh no you didn’t cos I sent it recorded delivery) then you found it in a ‘cupboard…. then I’ve given you the wrong reference (oh no …

Made an application on behalf of a client by post on Wednesday 16th June, it was issued on Friday 18th June, and arrived in my office on Tuesday 22nd June. I had asked for it to be expedited, but didn’t expect it to be that quick! Excellent service. Clare Presley – Roche Legal, York

The worst excuse for a government service I have ever experienced. Phones are constantly engaged and they don’t reply to emails. Finally, I had to take time off from work to visit the probate office in person, to be told they had not …

Despite the really long wait on the phone, spoke with a really pleasant lady who was very kind and informed about the probate system and could help me as well as I needed. Thanks for that.

So 16 weeks in and case still not looked at. Honestly when you need support and not hassle it’s ridiculous.

Didn’t process my application as they thought there was a document missing, they had it all along. Promised return by a certain date, it didn’t arrive, and phone is constantly engaged so I’ve no idea if they have done anything at all or ever will. That phone has to be off the hook no doubt about it.

Applied for probate on the 6 April 2020. No confirmation of receipt of application and no response to my e-mail enquiry as to what is happening. No point in ringing as they are not answering the phone. We are still waiting. Now the 9 June.

Most pathetic office I’ve ever come across. They need to be shut down. How can HM courts and Tribunals service justify keeping an office like this open. Staff have no idea what they are doing. People’s lives are being affected because of their inefficiency. Zero stars is too good a rating

Applied for probate in March – heard nothing yet (19th August) and can’t through on the phone. Just get a message saying they are not providing updates on case progression. Absolutely appalling.

I am fuming applied to these people in March this year. They don’t answer emails, you can’t get through on the phone. Once they asked me to do something via email I did what they requested the same day four weeks on I am still waiting for a reply and cannot get through on the phone. Shocking service

Absolutely no respect to leave people who have recently lost a love one high and dry with no opportunity to be able to contact them (permanently engaged/No email address) for over 4 MONTHS!!!! My poor mother, you should be ashamed

Phones always engaged, no matter when, or how often you call. I sent an email, got an automated reply saying they’d reply in 10 days, it’s been almost a month and I’ve had nothing back.

What is the point of providing a number when it is constantly engaged? I submitted my application in May and am still waiting on the 4th October! Terrible service

Having sent my application to Birmingham…it was forwarded to Newcastle without my knowledge….after 2 months I called them…(amazingly got through)…they told me ive lost a form of which I hadn’t and accused me of not filling it in …

I applied for probate it took 6 days all l can say is what a service really your Managers must be very proud of this office this office must be the Jewel in the Crown really praise is not enough again sincere thanks

Been told 14 weeks waiting for each of 3 stages of the process, they have extra staff thousands of applicants and no idea when anything happens, BTW its 14 weeks for EVERY correspondsance as well as each process, so 1 letter after stage 1 …

201 phone calls on constant redial today and still haven’t spoken to them.
This is to chase my mums probate from May.. Fuming!!

My aunt died in April 2019. Still waiting for probate to be sorted out 32 months later.

No one answers the phone, extremely frustrating

TAKE NOTICE
This office no longer has a counter service.Use the online service or post your application

Not fit for purpose. Horrendously bad service

Dreadful. Tried phoning from 1pm til 4pm, engaged constantly

Awful service

Very helpful.