Thanks to solicitors filing online, people no longer need to wait months to access estates and assets
On 2 June 2026 the Courts Service launched the digitalisation of grants of probate applications on their new online Courts Portal. 100 days later 45% of grants of probate applications from solicitors nationwide are being received online.
“Thanks to the solicitors who helped us to configure our Courts Portal to meet their needs and streamline the process to reduce errors. Thanks to the solicitors filling online, the 45% of online fillings have half the errors of the paper-based process. This means the Dublin Probate Office can process online applications quicker reducing processing times by half.” said Owen Harrison, Assistant Secretary and Chief Information Officer, the Courts Service.
Explaining what this means for the public Anne Heenan, Probate Officer said “This is making a real difference for people who no longer need to wait months to access the estate of a deceased loved one.”
Every year, over 20,000 applications for probate are lodged and most deal with the sale of property, effecting families nationwide. The paper-based probate system provided the potential for errors, impacting processing times. With the support of Government, the Courts Service prioritised the digitalisation applications for grants of probate. The Courts Service engaged solicitor member representative organisations, user groups and directly with solicitors to enable the Portal to meet their needs. Reengineering the process to reduce opportunities for making mistakes. Data sharing between Revenue and Courts Service systems has also reduced the complexity of the application process for users.
Speaking about next steps Owen Harrison, Chief Information Officer of the Courts Service confirmed: “By the end of the year we will include applications for intestacy on the Courts Portal. This will mean that solicitors will be able to file the vast majority of probate application types online. We are encouraged by the strong uptake of the new online service, which reflects the time and effort solicitors have put into helping shape an online journey that works not only for the Courts Service, but also for them and those they represent.”
994 solicitor firms are registered on Courts Portal with access to online filing for grants of probate and for Circuit Court Family Law nationwide.
If you have not yet registered on Courts Portal, here’s how to join:
- Log on to https://portal.courts.ie/
- The portal will guide you through the registration process
If you have any questions visit our information pages and FAQs
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