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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Zoe Wood

My husband died, and now I can’t access our savings or sell our house

According to  HMCTS it takes 17 weeks for a paper probate application to be completed.
According to HMCTS it takes 17 weeks for a paper probate application to be completed. Photograph: ACORN 1/Alamy

My husband died in May 2022 at the age of 52, leaving me and our three children. I applied for probate over a year ago but, even though I have complained, it has still not been granted. I feel in total despair at the Kafkaesque situation I am in.

Whilst, thankfully, we have capital to live on (our bank transferred our joint accounts into my name), I’m not able to access and organise other savings, or sell our house, which I want to do before our fixed-rate mortgage ends.

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