Probate usually takes 1-3 months depending on the complexity of the estate. It can then take up to 6 months to close accounts, sell property and pay taxes.
Answer a few simple questions to find out how long probate could take based on your situation.
The probate process can take anywhere from 3-12 months – sometimes even longer in more complex cases. This covers everything from collecting information about the estate to distributing assets to beneficiaries.
Here, we’ll go through each of the steps in detail so you know exactly what to expect.
It can take anywhere between one week and a couple of months to apply for a grant of probate with a will. The amount of time it will take for you depends on a number of factors, including:
Before your application can be submitted, there are a number of steps you may need to follow, including:
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.
It usually takes somewhere between one and eight weeks to apply for a grant of 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.
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.
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:
It can take anywhere from 1-6 months to get inheritance money 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.
In most cases, probate costs somewhere between £1,000 and £5,000 in the UK. 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:
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.
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.
The short answer to why probate takes so long is, quite simply, because it's so complicated. It involves a lot of research, a lot of back and forth with financial organisations, and some fairly unfriendly probate and tax forms.
But while there are some things you can't change (like the current backlog at the probate registry), there are a few ways you can speed up the probate process:
At Farewill, we gather all the information we need as soon as you're ready and get it over to our legal team. They'll then prepare and send the application to you in as little as 7 days. Once everything has been signed and sent back, it'll be submitted to the probate registry for approval.
Answer a few simple questions to find out how long probate could take based on your situation.
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What information do you need before applying for probate?
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