"Tim Powys-Lybbe" wrote in message news:[email protected] >On 27 Dec at 18:39, Richard Smith <[email protected]> wrote: >> On 27/12/14 17:07, CWatters wrote: >> >> > "A name and year of death is required to find wills, which should be >> > ready for download within 10 days of order." >That was quoted from the BBC's site, not from GOV.UK The BBC quoted from the GOV UK website https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/Support/Help >> > >> > How long did it take by post? >> >> In my experience, about a fortnight for delivery within the UK. The >> electronic version may be a little faster for those in the UK if "10 >> days" means calendar days rather than working days, but the main >> advantage will be from those overseas. I imagine delivery to, say, >> Australia takes much longer than 10 days currently. Even within the >> UK, I'd far rather order on-line than have to search around trying to >> find my cheque book and a stamp. Just because I'm researching my >> family history doesn't mean I want to use antiquated tools to do it. >> >> Richard >My impression is that the wills should be available virtually instantly >much the same as those from PCC via The National Archives. But I have >not found one I need to shell out a tenner for yet. Currently they are not available instantaneous but up to 10 working days after ordering online Andy

On Sun, 28 Dec 2014 10:38:22 +1100, "Andy" <[email protected]> wrote: > > >"Tim Powys-Lybbe" wrote in message >news:[email protected] > >>On 27 Dec at 18:39, Richard Smith <[email protected]> wrote: > >>> On 27/12/14 17:07, CWatters wrote: >>> >>> > "A name and year of death is required to find wills, which should be >>> > ready for download within 10 days of order." > >>That was quoted from the BBC's site, not from GOV.UK > >The BBC quoted from the GOV UK website > >https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/Support/Help > >>> > >>> > How long did it take by post? >>> >>> In my experience, about a fortnight for delivery within the UK. The >>> electronic version may be a little faster for those in the UK if "10 >>> days" means calendar days rather than working days, but the main >>> advantage will be from those overseas. I imagine delivery to, say, >>> Australia takes much longer than 10 days currently. Even within the >>> UK, I'd far rather order on-line than have to search around trying to >>> find my cheque book and a stamp. Just because I'm researching my >>> family history doesn't mean I want to use antiquated tools to do it. >>> >>> Richard > >>My impression is that the wills should be available virtually instantly >>much the same as those from PCC via The National Archives. But I have >>not found one I need to shell out a tenner for yet. > >Currently they are not available instantaneous but up to 10 working days >after ordering online > So for all practical purposes it is the existing system with online ordering now available. All we need now is someone's pet MP to table a question asking why they charge a tenner while the Scottish Government only charges roughly a quarter of that for online wills (to 1925) and some other governments don't charge at all.

On 28/12/2014 00:52, Charles Ellson via wrote: > On Sun, 28 Dec 2014 10:38:22 +1100, "Andy" > <[email protected]> wrote: >> Currently they are not available instantaneous but up to 10 working days >> after ordering online >> > So for all practical purposes it is the existing system with online > ordering now available. All we need now is someone's pet MP to table a > question asking why they charge a tenner while the Scottish Government > only charges roughly a quarter of that for online wills (to 1925) and > some other governments don't charge at all. > Because the service is operated by the inefficient and unimaginative HM Courts & Tribunals Service, which thinks it can make money out of us, but couldn't cope with the rush if it offered it at a price family historians could afford. The real question is why on earth the Courts Service is allowed to keep control of probate material more than say 50 or 100 years old, instead of handing it over the the National Archives. They have form on this of course - it wasn't until 1970 that they handed over the records of the PCC. Chris Pitt Lewis --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. http://www.avast.com