How long does probate take?

1-8 weeks

It can take anywhere between one week and a couple of months to apply for probate with a will. The amount of time it will take for you depends on a number of factors, including:

• Whether there’s an inventory of assets included within the will
• The size and complexity of the estate
• How much you already know about the assets in the estate
• The time it takes your probate provider to prepare the application.

Before your application can be submitted, there are a number of steps you may need to follow, including:

• Using the government’s Tell Us Once service
• Getting the property valued
• Looking through paperwork to find out where money is kept
• Speaking to banks, pension providers and other financial organisations to find out how much is in each account
• Gathering information about any debts or gifts given in the last seven years
• Finding out how much tax is owed

Once you’ve gathered all of these details in one place, you’re ready to start your probate application. You can find out more about the information you need to apply for probate here.

1-8 weeks

It usually takes somewhere between one and eight weeks to apply for probate without a will.

If you’re the spouse of the person who died and already know a lot about the assets in their estate, your application could be prepared and sent to the probate registry within a couple of weeks.

However, if you need to search through paperwork, track down accounts, get property valued and find out about any debts, it could take a couple of months to get all the information together for your application.

3-6 weeks

Once your application has been submitted to the probate registry, it takes between 3-6 weeks for it to be approved – sometimes longer if the estate is particularly complex. Unfortunately, there isn’t much that you or your probate solicitors can do to speed up this part of the process.

After your grant has been approved, it will be sent out in the post. You’re then ready to start dealing with the estate.

3-6 months

It usually takes 3-6 months to sell off property, close bank accounts and distribute the assets to any beneficiaries. Using a professional for full estate administration doesn’t necessarily speed this process up, but it does help to take some of the weight off your shoulders.

Here are some of things you may need to do when administering the estate:

• Complete an inheritance tax return and pay any taxes due – such as inheritance tax, income tax or capital gains tax
• Put the house on the market and oversee the sale
• Close bank accounts and collect funds in one place
• Contact pension providers to access funds
• Claim on any life insurance policies
• Repay any outstanding debts owed by the deceased
• Distribute funds to the beneficiaries

1-6 months

It can take anywhere from 1-6 months to start receiving inheritance after probate has been granted.

If you’re the executor or administrator of the estate and the main beneficiary, you could start receiving your inheritance as soon as you start closing accounts and gathering funds together.

However, if the inheritance needs to be shared between a number of beneficiaries named in the will, it’s better to pool everything together in one place before distributing any funds. This usually means people need to wait a bit longer for their inheritance, but it makes things much more straightforward for you if you’re administering the estate.

According to the probate registry, the current delay due to coronavirus is around 4-6 weeks, taking the total processing time to 8-12 weeks. However, our probate specialists have had many grants approved in less than 8 weeks during this time, so there’s a good chance you won’t have to wait the full 12 weeks.

In most cases, probate costs somewhere between £1,000 and £5,000. However, larger estates can easily cost upwards of £20,000. This is because different probate solicitors charge their clients in different ways. Some offer a fixed-price quote upfront, while more traditional providers tend to work on an hourly rate or percentage basis.

Another reason for the huge difference in price is the type of service you receive. Here, we’ll cover the two main options available:

1. Grant-only service

If you're happy to sell property, close down bank accounts and distribute money in accordance with your loved one’s will (or the rules of intestacy if there isn’t a will), you could save thousands by choosing a simple, grant-only probate service. This can usually be dealt with over the phone, email and post, so there’s no need to visit a probate registry or swear an oath.

2. Full estate administration

If you're uncomfortable handling all the admin that comes with distributing the estate, or you feel like the estate is simply too complicated, you may choose to pay a probate solicitor to do this for you. The fees for this can vary depending on the size and complexity of the estate, and how many assets need to be dealt with.

At Farewill, we offer a grant-only probate service for just £595 – or £1,045 if the case is more complex. We also offer a fixed-price estate administration service, but this is quoted on a case-by-case basis.