The solicitor Coles Miller has highlighted the issue of bereaved families having to wait longer for probate to be granted, which is in turn jeopardising executor sales of property.

The reasons cited are government cuts to the service and an increased number of applications, which is causing the probate registry to take longer to process applications. Complex estates can also make the process more protracted.

Stuart Bradford, partner, said: “The Probate Registry is understaffed and overworked; this is causing delays.

“It has been taking up to two months for a grant of probate to be issued by the Probate Registry – previously it was two weeks."

Executors must safeguard assets detailed in a will within a year, 'the executor's year'. Though you can request an emergency grant of probate (usually to safeguard property sales), this increases costs. 

See more: Probate registry delays hit families in mourning

Did you know that you can now place a deceased estates notice online?