Solicitors throughout Ireland can now lodge applications for grants of probate online through the Courts Service’s digital portal at portal.courts.ie. The changes, which went live on 2 June, are a significant overhaul of the estate administration process, and our wills and probate team is already updating its processes and procedures to make full use of them.
A nationwide rollout following a successful pilot
The new system follows a pilot project that the Courts Service ran from late last year, working initially with a small group of Dublin solicitors. As reported by the Law Society Gazette, more than 100 applications were submitted during the testing phase, and the Dublin Probate Office turned applications around within roughly ten working days.
Feedback from participating solicitors has been positive. The Probate Office noted a reduction in the errors and mistakes that so often accompany hard-copy applications, which in turn allowed for faster processing. With the rollout now extended nationwide, turnaround times across the country will become clearer as more firms begin filing digitally.
What is changing
The portal forms part of the wider Courts Service modernisation programme, which is gradually introducing e-filing, e-serving, e-payments, and the collection of digital orders across civil and family law. For probate specifically, the key features include:
- Online submission of applications through portal.courts.ie, removing the need to post or hand-deliver paper documents.
- Integration with Revenue, which the Courts Service says has greatly simplified the process by cutting down on repetitive data entry.
- A new Statement of Truth, an online affidavit introduced into the court rules specifically for digital filing.
- More consistent turnaround times as the volume of online applications grows.
Support for intestacy applications, which arise where a person dies without leaving a valid will, is expected to follow as the system develops.
The importance of this change
Probate is a complex process, and it often arrives at a difficult and emotional time for families. Faster, more reliable turnaround times mean that estates can be administered and distributed more promptly, allowing families to settle affairs and move forward sooner.
The benefits also extend beyond individual estates. The Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Jim O’Callaghan, welcomed the announcement and noted that quicker probate processes could help to ease pressure on housing supply, as inherited properties reach the market without lengthy delays.
How our team is responding
The team here at McCarthy + Co welcomes this step forward, and we are currently reviewing the integration of the new digital workflow into the way we manage probate applications. We want to ensure that every client benefits from the efficiencies the new system offers, while continuing to receive the same careful, personal guidance through what can be an unfamiliar process.
Speak to our wills and probate team
If you are dealing with the estate of a loved one, or you would like to understand how the new online probate system may affect an application, our wills and probate team is here to help. Contact us today to arrange a consultation with one of our solicitors.
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