A relatively new Manchester boutique has turned to AI to ‘supercharge’ the probate process - and is so confident at how quickly it can move that it is willing to write off its fixed fee for applications not submitted in six weeks.

My Probate Solicitors, set up earlier this year and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, told the Gazette it uses a bespoke AI platform, called Xeena, that has reduced the time it takes to prepare probate applications.

Chief operating officer and solicitor Jean Warde explained that the results of a ‘bespoke fact-find’ are fed into Xeena, which produces documents for the application. Solicitors then check the documents are correct.

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The firm says it offers a money back guarantee for simple grant applications not submitted to the Probate Registry within six weeks. My Probate Solicitors also believes it is the only firm to offer a transparent, fixed-fee service for lower-value estates.

With probate delays the subject of a parliamentary inquiry, Warde stressed that Xeena can only speed up the process from the firm’s end, not once the application is with the court. 

According to latest data provided by the Ministry of Justice, the average mean length of time taken for a grant of probate following receipt of the documents required came down by 4.5 weeks in June 2024 compared to August 2023. The average timeliness for cases completing in June was 8.5 weeks.