This website provides information on Probate in the UK and related topics. This is NOT a government website and is not affiliated with any UK department including the Ministry of Justice. Every effort has been made to insure the accuracy of the information provided.
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How Long Does Probate Take?
The length of time probate takes depends on the complexity of the estate that has been left behind and the amount of time it takes to prepare the application for a Grant of Probate.
Before the application can be sent, the estate has to be fully valued and assessed both in terms of overall worth, assessment of outstanding liabilities and the level of Inheritance Tax due.
Before the application can be sent, the estate has to be fully valued and assessed both in terms of overall worth, assessment of outstanding liabilities and the level of Inheritance Tax due.
If a will is relatively straightforward and all required information is readily available then a Grant of Probate in the UK will usually take approximately 6 weeks to be issued once a success application has been submitted. However if the estate is very complex or there are other underlying issues which impact on the application, the process can take a lot longer.
Once a Grant of Probate has been issued, actually ‘proving’ the will to resolve the assets and allocate the inheritance to the correct parties can also take a considerable amount of time.
Once a Grant of Probate has been issued, actually ‘proving’ the will to resolve the assets and allocate the inheritance to the correct parties can also take a considerable amount of time.
No assets can be allocated until all claims on the will have been made. And, as beneficiaries have six months after the date of death to do so, this can severely delay the entire process.
Under stipulation by the Law society, any solicitor that becomes an Executor of a will has exactly one year to resolve the will and provide a final balance to the beneficiaries. In most cases it is possible to resolve a will in a much shorter period of time, but in very complex cases, it can take far longer.
Under stipulation by the Law society, any solicitor that becomes an Executor of a will has exactly one year to resolve the will and provide a final balance to the beneficiaries. In most cases it is possible to resolve a will in a much shorter period of time, but in very complex cases, it can take far longer.