How Long Does Probate Take? The Timeline Stage by Stage (2026)
In brief
The grant itself is now quick. In April to June 2026 the Probate Registry issued grants a mean of about 5 weeks after the application, and half of them within about a week. The whole process takes longer: the estate has to be valued before you can apply, estates that file an IHT400 wait for a code from HMRC, and after the grant come the debts, the house sale and the claim periods. A straightforward estate where the executors wait out the six-month claim period usually takes around 9 to 12 months from the death to the final payments.
The Short Answer
Probate is a sequence, and each stage waits on the one before. The table shows the stages for an estate in England and Wales, how long each one usually takes, and what decides whether it runs quickly or slowly.
Add the stages together and a straightforward estate usually takes around 9 to 12 months from the death to the final payments, most of it after the grant. An estate with no property to sell and no Inheritance Tax can finish sooner; one with a house in a slow market, tax to pay or a family disagreement can take well over a year.
| Stage | Typical time | What sets the pace |
|---|---|---|
| Register the death, find the will | Registration within 5 days | The funeral, finding the original will |
| Value the estate | Commonly 1 to 3 months | Replies from banks and pension providers, how soon valuations are booked |
| Inheritance Tax forms (IHT400 estates only) | HMRC code usually within 20 working days | Whether tax is due and when it is paid |
| Apply and wait for the grant | Mean about 5 weeks, median about 1 week | Online or paper, and whether the application is stopped |
| Collect the assets, sell the house | Weeks for accounts, months for a house | The property market and the buyer |
| Settle debts, wait out claim periods | 2 months for creditors, 6 months from the grant for family claims | Whether a claim against the estate is likely |
| Estate accounts and distribution | Usually within the executor's year | Tax for the administration period, beneficiaries' sign-off |
Valuing the Estate: Usually One to Three Months
Before anything is filed, the executors need a value for everything the person owned on the date of death, and for their debts. Bank and building society balances, pensions and shares come from letters to each institution, and replies can take several weeks. The house, its contents and anything of particular value (jewellery, a car, art, a collection) need a valuation as at the date of death.
This is the stage executors control most. Writing to every institution in the first fortnight and booking valuations early often saves more time than anything later in the process, because every later stage depends on these figures. It also matters for tax: the Inheritance Tax deadline runs from the death, not from the grant.
Inheritance Tax: Up to Four Weeks More if an IHT400 Is Needed
Most estates are excepted estates. They owe no Inheritance Tax and do not need form IHT400; their values go into the probate application itself, and GOV.UK says you can apply for probate straight away.
Where an IHT400 is needed, because tax is due or the estate falls outside the excepted-estate rules, it must reach HMRC before you apply for probate. HMRC then sends a unique code confirming enough tax has been paid, and GOV.UK says you will usually get it within 20 working days of HMRC receiving the IHT400 or the payment, whichever is later. You usually need to pay some of the tax before the grant is issued, and HMRC asks for a payment reference at least 3 weeks before you pay.
Tax is due by the end of the sixth month after the death, whether or not the grant has been issued, and interest runs after that. Banks can pay the tax straight from the deceased's accounts under the Direct Payment Scheme (form IHT423) before the grant, and the tax on a house can be paid in yearly instalments over 10 years.
The Grant: About Five Weeks on Average in 2026
GOV.UK tells applicants to expect the grant within 12 weeks of submitting the application, and longer if the Probate Registry needs more information. The Ministry of Justice's figures show most applications are now much faster than that. For grants issued in April to June 2026 (published 24 September 2026):
| Applications | Grants issued | Mean wait | Median wait |
|---|---|---|---|
| All grants of probate | 57,698 | 5.0 weeks | 1.1 weeks |
| Applied online | 54,221 (94%) | 4.3 weeks | 1.0 week |
| Applied on paper | 3,477 (6%) | 16.0 weeks | 6.9 weeks |
| Not stopped | 42,929 (74%) | 1.7 weeks | 1.0 week |
| Stopped for more information | 14,769 (26%) | 14.4 weeks | 8.1 weeks |
Why an Application Gets Stopped
The mean is five weeks, but half of all grants arrive within about a week. The difference is the quarter of applications the Registry stops to ask for something, which then take around 14 weeks. A stop means the Registry cannot issue the grant on what it has been sent, for example because the original will has not arrived, the will raises a question (a missing page, an unclear signature, marks suggesting something was once attached), the details do not match the HMRC code, or a document is missing.
Paper applications are slower as well, at a mean of 16 weeks against just over 4 online. The Registry also had 47,003 open cases at the end of June 2026, 19% more than a year earlier, so the averages can move.
- Apply online if you can.
- Send the original will as soon as the application asks for it, exactly as you found it. Do not unstaple it or remove anything attached, because the marks this leaves are one of the things the Registry queries.
- Check names, dates and figures against the death certificate, the will and any HMRC code before you submit.
- If more than 12 weeks have passed and you have not been asked for anything, contact the Probate Registry using the details on GOV.UK's "Applying for probate: after you've applied" page.
Without a Will: Letters of Administration
Where there is no will, the next of kin apply for letters of administration instead of probate, through the same service. These took longer in April to June 2026: about 10 weeks on average where there was no will, and about 22 weeks where there was a will but no executor able to act. Administrators also have no authority to deal with the estate until the grant is issued, so less can be done in the meantime.
After the Grant: Selling the House
The grant is what lets the executors sell. A house can be marketed and an offer accepted before it, but the sale cannot complete until the grant is issued, because HM Land Registry needs a copy of it to register the buyer. A house that passes by survivorship to a surviving joint owner is the exception and does not need the grant.
For most estates the sale is the longest single stage. The house also needs looking after while it is empty: insurance, council tax and security all need attention, and the exemption from council tax runs out six months after the grant in England.
Paying the Beneficiaries: Claim Periods and the Executor's Year
Three rules decide how soon executors can safely pay out.
- Creditors: executors can place a notice in The Gazette and a local newspaper giving creditors at least 2 months to come forward (Trustee Act 1925, section 27). GOV.UK advises not distributing until the 2 months are up. The notice protects the executors against debts they did not know about.
- Family claims: a relative or dependant, such as a spouse or child, who was not reasonably provided for can claim against the estate under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975. The claim must normally be made within 6 months of the grant, and executors who distribute after those 6 months are protected from liability for a late claim (sections 4 and 20). Many executors wait out this period before paying the residue.
- The executor's year: executors are not obliged to distribute the estate before one year from the death (Administration of Estates Act 1925, section 44). It is a protection, not a deadline, and beneficiaries cannot insist on payment earlier.
What Probate Costs
The application fee in England and Wales is £526 where the estate is worth more than £5,000, and there is no fee for an estate of £5,000 or less. Extra official copies of the grant cost £2 each if ordered with the application and £16 each afterwards. The fee rose from £300 on 13 July 2026, so older guides quote the wrong figure.
The other costs are the executors' choice: valuations, any solicitor or probate firm, estate agent and conveyancing fees, and clearance. All of them are paid from the estate.
Scotland: Confirmation
Scotland uses confirmation, granted by the sheriff court, instead of probate. For a small estate (a gross value of £36,000 or less) the sheriff clerk can help prepare the forms, there is no court fee, and the court's guidance says confirmation is normally issued within 3 working days of receiving everything it needs. The courts publish no processing time for larger estates, which are usually handled by a solicitor. The Inheritance Tax steps, including the HMRC code, are the same as in England and Wales.
Next step
If the estate needs a valuation, tell us what needs valuing and where it is. We will introduce an independent valuer who covers it, with no obligation to instruct them.
Frequently Asked Questions
01How long does probate take with a will?
The grant itself took a mean of about 5 weeks from application in April to June 2026, and half were issued within about a week. The whole process, from the death to paying the beneficiaries, usually takes around 9 to 12 months for a straightforward estate, mostly because of valuations beforehand and the house sale and claim periods afterwards.
02How long after probate is granted do beneficiaries get paid?
There is no fixed time. Executors usually wait at least 2 months after placing creditor notices, and many wait until 6 months after the grant, when the time for family claims under the Inheritance Act ends. Where a house has to be sold, payment waits for the sale. Executors are not obliged to distribute before the first anniversary of the death.
03Why is my probate application taking longer than 12 weeks?
The most likely reason is that it has been stopped: the Registry needs the original will, a further document or a correction. Stopped applications took about 14 weeks on average in April to June 2026. Paper applications are also slower, at about 16 weeks on average. If you have heard nothing after 12 weeks, contact the Registry using the details on GOV.UK.
04Can probate be completed in under six months?
Yes, for a simple estate: no Inheritance Tax, no property to sell, valuations done quickly and an online application that is not stopped. The part that most often stretches beyond six months is the wait after the grant, because executors who distribute before the 6-month claim period ends lose the protection it gives them.
05Do I have to wait for probate to pay Inheritance Tax?
No. Inheritance Tax is due by the end of the sixth month after the death, and a payment is usually needed before the grant can be issued. Banks can pay it from the deceased's accounts under the Direct Payment Scheme before probate, and tax on a house can be paid in instalments.