FAQs for Probate in Birmingham

Q: Is there any technology offered to assist with Probate in Birmingham ?

A: Ancestry Library Edition is now available on computers in Birmingham Libraries.

This enables you to trace your family history using records from England, Scotland and Wales censuses from 1841 to 1901, birth, marriage and death records and UK parish and probate records.

Using Birmingham Libraries' latest free web site -there is a special version of the well known Ancestry.com subscription web site made available free on computers in Birmingham libraries.

You can search censuses for England, Wales, Scotland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands from 1841 to 1901, England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes for births, deaths and marriages, plus UK and Ireland parish and probate records from the 1500s to the 1800s and even earlier. There are also a few military, immigration/emigration, court and Birmingham probate records.

Q : Is there an index for wills in Wolverhampton ?

A: A register of wills in the last 50 years for the Wolverhampton area are held at :

Birmingham Probate Registry,
Priory Courts,
Bull Street,
Birmingham,
B4 GDU

The Birmingham probate records are arranged by the year in which the will was proved (which can be some time after the death. The records are also available by family  name. Prior the 20th Century letters of administration ( those members of the public  who died without a will) were indexed separately at the end of the volumes.

The information in the Birmingham probate calendars provide a significant amount of information including : the name of the departed ; his/her occupation; his/her address at the date of the will; the location and date of death; the date and court of probate; details of the executors, and their relationship to the deceased if stated in the will and the value of the estate of the deceased.

Registered copy wills proved at Birmingham 1858-1941 are held a the Birmingham City Archives

Q; I need to deal with a probate in Birmingham  - How do I search for a will ?

A: If you are conducting DIY probate in Birmingham, one of the best ways to search for a will in Birmingham is to review the Birmingham probate records. Probate is the process through which a person or persons are appointed in law to administer the estate of someone who has died. As part of the application for probate, a copy of any will left by the deceased must be submitted to the probate court.

Q: Does probate in Birmingham take longer than elsewhere in the UK ?
 
A : Probate in Birmingham is no quicker or longer than anywhere else in the UK.  Probate in Birmingham varies in how long it takes to complete but as a very rough rule of thumb we would say between three and nine months is the norm. The actual issuing of the Grant from the court is only ten to 21 days from the date of the application, but it can take many months to get the estate in a position to make the application. There is a guideline in law though that states that no estate administration should take more than 12 months without a good and justifiable reason. Why not speak to our Birmingham Probate team about your specific case and they may be able to give you a good idea as to time frames.

Q: How do I complain about a solicitor who conducted Probate in Birmingham?

In all probate cases ( regardless of where the legal work wase.g. probate in Birmingham, the solicitor's client is the 'executor' (the person appointed to carry out the instructions of the person who has died). If you're not the executor, you should first ask the executor to deal with any complaints you have about the way the probate  was handled.

If the executor is the solicitor and you are a beneficiary (a person who has been left something in a will), you can make a complaint the Legal Complaints Service ( LCS ) about the probate solicitor and they may be able to investigate.

There are various actions the LCS  can take depending on how you are involved.
•    If you are an executor, you can complain to us about the solicitor's poor service and the may be able to reduce the solicitor's bill, award you compensation or tell the probate solicitor to take specific action.
•    If the executor is the solicitor and you're the residuary beneficiary (a person who is left all of the rest of an estate after gifts, funeral expenses and debts have been paid), you can make a complaint to the LCS about the solicitor's poor service and they can reduce the bill or sometimes tell them to take specific action.
You'll need to send us the LCS copy of the will and the 'grant of probate' or 'letters of administration'.