How Long Does Probate Take in the UK? Timelines

In England and Wales you will usually get the grant of probate within 12 weeks of applying, according to gov.uk, and HMCTS figures for April to June 2026 show grants of probate issued in about 5 weeks on average. Winding up the whole estate takes longer and has no fixed timescale: an executor is not bound to distribute before one year from the death, and estates with a property to sell, Inheritance Tax to settle or a dispute often run past that. This guide sets out the realistic stages, typical waiting times, and the most common causes of delay.

There Is No Single Fixed Timescale

Neither HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) nor gov.uk publishes one official number that applies to every estate, because the true bottleneck is rarely the grant itself. It is how much work sits either side of it: how many assets there are, whether any of them are hard to value, whether Inheritance Tax is due, and whether the application arrives complete or generates queries. A small, simple estate with a straightforward will can be substantially wound up within about six months. An estate with a property to sell, assets abroad, or a dispute can easily run past a year. Treat any figure you see, including the ranges below, as a realistic guide rather than a guarantee.

Typical Probate Timeline

• Registering the death and gathering information: usually days to a few weeks, though tracking down every account, policy, and asset can take longer if the deceased's affairs were not well organised.
• Valuing the estate and reporting it to HMRC: typically several weeks to a few months, longer where property or unusual assets need a formal valuation.
• Paying any Inheritance Tax due: normally required by the end of the sixth month after death, and usually has to be arranged before the grant is issued, so this step can drive the overall pace.
• Submitting the probate application: once the estate has been valued and any Inheritance Tax position sorted out.
• Waiting for the grant: gov.uk says you will usually get probate within 12 weeks of submitting your application. HMCTS statistics for April to June 2026 (published 24 September 2026) show grants of probate took about 5 weeks on average from application, while letters of administration took about 10 weeks where there was no will and about 22 weeks where there was a will. Grants of probate that were "stopped" (for example over a query, an error, missing information or a problem with the will) took 14 weeks on average, and paper applications typically take longer than online ones.
• Collecting in assets, paying debts, and distributing the estate: typically several more months after the grant, covering closing accounts, cashing in investments, settling debts and expenses, and paying out to beneficiaries.
• Overall: many straightforward estates are fully settled within 6 to 12 months from death; complex estates can take a year or more.

What Causes Delays

• Inheritance Tax. The estate's value usually has to be reported to HMRC, and tax due usually has to start being paid, before the grant is issued, which can hold up the whole process if the estate is hard to value or the tax position is unclear.
• A property to sell. Marketing and completing a sale, rather than simply transferring a property to a beneficiary, adds time that is largely outside the executor's control.
• Foreign assets. Overseas bank accounts, property, or investments often need separate valuation, translation, or a foreign grant recognised alongside the UK one.
• A claim against the estate, for example a challenge under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, or a dispute over the will's validity.
• Missing information or incomplete forms. Gaps in the application, or documents the Probate Registry cannot verify, generate "stops" and queries that pause processing until they are resolved.
• Disagreement between executors or beneficiaries, which can slow decisions even where there is no formal dispute.

The "Executor's Year"

There is no statutory deadline forcing an executor to finish the administration by a set date. What the law does say, in section 44 of the Administration of Estates Act 1925, is that a personal representative is not bound to distribute the estate before one year from the death. This is the "executor's year", and it is why beneficiaries should not generally expect to receive their inheritance before around 12 months from the date of death. It exists because a competent executor usually needs that long to identify and collect in assets, settle Inheritance Tax and other debts, deal with any claims, and only then distribute what remains with confidence that nothing has been missed. It is not a deadline to finish by, and plenty of simple estates finish sooner, but it sets a realistic expectation for beneficiaries and some protection for an executor who is working through a more complicated estate carefully rather than quickly.

Scotland and Northern Ireland: Different Timescales

England and Wales' probate process, and the timescales above, do not apply anywhere else in the UK. Scotland does not use probate at all: an executor applies to the Sheriff Court for Confirmation, and while the same broad drivers apply, gathering information, valuing the estate, dealing with tax, then ingathering and distributing, the court process and typical timescales differ, and a simplified route exists for small estates currently valued at £36,000 or under. See our guide to Confirmation in Scotland for how that system works and how long it typically takes. Northern Ireland uses the same grant of probate and letters of administration terminology as England and Wales, but the application goes through the Probate Office of the High Court rather than HMCTS, with its own processing times.

For the full application process and fees in England and Wales, see our guide to probate: the process. For what an executor is responsible for while all this is happening, see our guide to executor duties. If Inheritance Tax is part of what is holding up your application, see our guide to Inheritance Tax for rates, thresholds, and exemptions. For the wider picture, see our UK wills and probate hub, part of our broader guide to United Kingdom law.

Our Inheritance Tax calculator estimates what might be due using the nil-rate band and residence nil-rate band. If Inheritance Tax is due, it affects the timeline, because some of it must usually be paid before the grant is issued.

This article is general information about probate timescales in England and Wales, not legal, tax, or financial advice, and the ranges given are typical rather than guaranteed. Preparing the papers on which a grant of probate or letters of administration is founded is a reserved legal activity under the Legal Services Act 2007; while anyone can apply for probate themselves as an executor or administrator, only solicitors and other authorised, regulated individuals or firms may prepare those papers for reward on someone else's behalf. RecordingLaw.com does not prepare probate applications or conduct probate; for a specific estate, use the official gov.uk probate service or consult a qualified solicitor or licensed probate practitioner.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does probate normally take in the UK?

There is no fixed figure. A straightforward estate in England and Wales is often fully settled within 6 to 12 months from death; complex estates, for example with a property to sell or Inheritance Tax to sort out, can take a year or more.

How long does it take to get the grant of probate itself?

gov.uk says you will usually get probate within 12 weeks of submitting your application. HMCTS statistics for April to June 2026 show grants of probate took about 5 weeks on average, letters of administration about 10 weeks where there was no will and about 22 weeks where there was a will, and grants of probate that were 'stopped' (for example over a query, an error, missing information or a problem with the will) 14 weeks on average. Paper applications typically take longer than online ones.

Why is my probate application taking so long?

Common causes include Inheritance Tax needing to be reported and paid first, a property that has to be sold, assets held abroad, a claim against the estate, or the Probate Registry raising a query or 'stop' over missing or incomplete information.

Does Inheritance Tax delay probate?

It can. Inheritance Tax usually has to be reported to HMRC, and tax due usually has to start being paid, before the grant is issued. Inheritance Tax itself is normally due by the end of the sixth month after death, which can be well before the estate is otherwise ready.

What is the 'executor's year'?

Under section 44 of the Administration of Estates Act 1925, an executor is not bound to distribute the estate before one year from the date of death, so beneficiaries generally should not expect to receive their inheritance before around 12 months. It is not a deadline to finish by: many simple estates are distributed sooner and complex ones take longer.

Does having a property to sell delay probate?

It can add significant time, since marketing and completing a sale takes months and happens largely after the grant is issued, on top of whatever time the grant itself took.

Is Scotland's process the same length as England and Wales?

No. Scotland uses a different process called Confirmation, applied for through the Sheriff Court rather than HM Courts & Tribunals Service, with its own timescales and a simplified route for small estates.

Can probate be made quicker?

Having the estate's information organised and valued accurately before applying, applying online where eligible, and making sure Inheritance Tax reporting is complete and correct all help avoid the most common causes of delay, though no method guarantees a specific timescale.