Probate timing has three stages: preparing the estate information, obtaining the grant and administering the estate afterwards. A court-processing estimate covers only the middle stage. In England and Wales, track the application through the official service and respond to requests for information. Do not treat an average processing time as a promised inheritance payment date.
Use the current official tracking and contact instructions: GOV.UK: track probate after applying
Which dates help explain a probate delay?
Record when valuation work began, when the application was submitted, when supporting documents arrived and whether further information was requested. Note the date of each response. These milestones distinguish preparation delays from a registry query or work needed after the grant.
Example: the grant has arrived but the estate includes a house
The court stage is complete, but the executor still needs to deal with the property, final bills and any outstanding tax. Tell beneficiaries which stage has finished and what remains. Agree the next update date instead of assuming that the grant means all money can now be distributed.
Avoid a second application just to chase the first
Use the existing application reference and the official tracking or contact route. Check whether a request for information has been missed before sending duplicate documents or paying again. If you are unsure what the registry needs, ask about the specific outstanding item.
Choose the next step you need
For work before submission: prepare the probate application
For work after the grant: executor duties and records
How long does a probate application take in 2026?
The official GOV.UK guidance is that you will usually get the grant of probate or letters of administration within 12 weeks of submitting your application. It can take longer if the probate registry needs more information from you, and GOV.UK notes that paper applications take longer to process than online ones, so it recommends applying online if you can.
The most recent published figures are faster than that 12-week benchmark. The Ministry of Justice Family Court Statistics Quarterly for April to June 2026 (published 24 September 2026) reports that probate grants took approximately 5 weeks on average (mean) from application to issue. Where there was no will, letters of administration took around 10 weeks, and letters of administration with a will annexed took around 22 weeks. These are averages, so your own application may be quicker or slower.
The same release shows why some cases drag. Probate grants that were "stopped" took 14 weeks on average to be issued, compared with 2 weeks for those that were not stopped. A case is stopped when there is a dispute about who can apply, a problem with the will, or an error that leads the registry to ask for further information. The open caseload also grew: there were 47,003 open probate cases at the end of June 2026, up 19% from 39,357 a year earlier. If you have not applied yet, our guide on how to apply for probate in the UK walks through the forms and the legal declaration.
What has to happen before you can apply for probate?
Much of the waiting happens before the court is involved at all. You first need to value the estate, meaning the money, property and possessions of the person who died, so you can see whether Inheritance Tax is due. GOV.UK says valuing an estate can take several months, and longer for a large or complicated estate, for example one involving trusts or tax to pay.
Most estates are "excepted estates", where no tax is due and full details do not have to be sent to HMRC. In that case you can apply for probate straight away once you have your estimated values. If tax is due, or full details are required for another reason, the timeline looks different:
You must send form IHT400 to HMRC within 12 months of the death and before applying for probate.
Inheritance Tax must be paid by the end of the sixth month after the death, otherwise HMRC charges interest. You normally have to start paying before probate is granted.
You need an Inheritance Tax reference number at least 3 weeks before you make a payment.
HMRC then sends a unique code confirming enough tax has been paid, usually within 20 working days of receiving your IHT400 or payment, whichever is later. You need this code before you can apply.
Our guide to Inheritance Tax in the UK explains the thresholds and who pays.
How long does it take to settle an estate after the grant?
The grant is the key that unlocks the estate, not the end of the job. Once you have it, you send copies to the banks and other organisations holding assets, collect the money, sell or transfer property, pay debts and taxes, and finally distribute what is left. There is no single official figure for how long estate administration takes overall, because it depends on how many assets there are, whether a house needs selling and whether anyone raises a claim.
A few legal time periods shape the end of the process in England and Wales:
Creditor notices. Personal representatives can advertise for unknown creditors under section 27 of the Trustee Act 1925. The notice must give claimants at least two months to come forward.
Family provision claims. A claim under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, section 4, must normally be made within six months of the date the grant is first taken out, unless the court gives permission.
HMRC checks. If HMRC has not been in touch 14 weeks after you submit form IHT400, no further compliance checks will be carried out. You must report changes in value once values are final or 18 months after the death, whichever is sooner.
Because of these windows, many executors hold back final distributions until the six-month claim period has passed, even when the rest of the paperwork is finished.
What is the executor's year?
The "executor's year" comes from section 44 of the Administration of Estates Act 1925, which says a personal representative is not bound to distribute the estate before one year from the death. It is not a deadline for finishing. It simply means beneficiaries cannot insist on receiving their share before that first anniversary. Plenty of straightforward estates are finished sooner, and some complex ones take much longer. During that year the executor collects assets, pays debts and prepares accounts.
What commonly delays probate?
Most delays fall into a handful of familiar patterns. Knowing them in advance can save weeks.
Missing or unclear information. Errors in the application lead to a request for further information, which is one of the reasons a case can be stopped.
Problems with the will. You must send the original will, not a photocopy. If it has been lost, you may be able to apply with form PA13, but expect extra steps.
Executors who cannot agree or be reached. All named executors must agree who applies, and a single applicant must show they tried to contact the others.
Disputes and caveats. Anyone with a concern can enter a caveat, which stops a grant being issued while the dispute is looked at.
Inheritance Tax. Waiting for valuations, the HMRC code or a compliance check adds time before and after the application.
Property. Selling a house usually happens after the grant. GOV.UK puts the average home sale at about 5 months, longer in a chain. See selling a house in probate.
Applications where there is no will, or where the named executor cannot act, also tend to take longer, as the averages for letters of administration show.
How do you check on or chase a probate application?
If you applied online, you can sign in to the probate service to track your application. If you applied by post, you should receive a letter or email within 12 weeks. If you have not heard by then, you can contact the Courts and Tribunals Service Centre on 0300 303 0648 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm, closed on bank holidays), by email at contactprobate@justice.gov.uk, or by webchat. The service can only discuss an application with the applicants named on it.
Before you call, have the name and date of death of the person who died and your application details to hand. If the registry has asked for documents, sending everything in one go is usually the fastest way to get the case moving again.
How long does it take in Scotland and Northern Ireland?
Scotland has its own system. Instead of probate, executors apply to the sheriff court for "confirmation". For a small estate, worth £36,000 or less, the sheriff clerk can help you prepare the inventory, which can make things simpler. For larger estates the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service recommends legal advice. Where Inheritance Tax is due, you need the same HMRC code before applying for confirmation. The Scottish courts do not publish an average processing time on that page, so ask your local sheriff clerk's office what to expect.
In Northern Ireland, applications go to the Probate Office of the High Court, online or by post. If tax is due, you send form IHT421 with your IHT400, and HMRC usually returns it within 20 working days so you can apply. The legal time periods mentioned above, such as the executor's year, are rules for England and Wales, so take local advice in Scotland or Northern Ireland.
How do you keep relatives informed without promising a completion date?
Separate the time spent gathering information, the application stage and the work after a grant. Share the last confirmed update and the next action you can take. A typical processing time is not a deadline for a particular estate, and a grant does not mean every asset is ready to distribute.
Prepare for the next conversation
Record the submission date and application reference.
List requests for extra information and when they were answered.
Tell relatives what remains uncertain instead of giving an unsupported payment date.
Related next steps: Understand the work that continues after the grant; Plan property tasks without treating the grant as a completed sale.
Frequently asked questions: Probate timelines
Can I speed up probate?
You cannot pay for a faster grant, but you can avoid the most common delays. Apply online, double-check names, dates and values, send the original will and any codicils, and sort out Inheritance Tax early so the HMRC code is ready when you need it.
Does probate take longer without a will?
Often, yes. In April to June 2026, letters of administration without a will took around 10 weeks on average, compared with about 5 weeks for a grant of probate. Where there was a will but no executor able to act, the average was around 22 weeks.
How long after probate do beneficiaries receive their inheritance?
There is no fixed date. Executors first collect assets and pay debts and taxes. In England and Wales they are not obliged to distribute within the first year after the death, and many wait until the six-month window for family provision claims has closed.
Can you sell a house before probate is granted?
You can prepare, for example by getting valuations, but GOV.UK advises not putting property on the market until you have the grant, because the sale cannot be completed without it.
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