How long is probate taking at the moment (2025)?

[PermanentTemporary]

Just wondered. It was quite quick in 2018 but I have the impression from friends it's a long wait at the moment.

We recently applied by post for a Grant of Letters of Administration, as there was no will. It is a small estate well below the IHT level. From it being received by registered post on a Monday, we had an email acknowledging receipt the following Monday, then the Grant arrived Friday that week.

The last we did, last year, took nearly a year. Nothing complicated about it, but the probate office made a right meal out of it. Initially, no action for a couple of months, then they raised a query (irrelevant, already answered in the application form which they hadn't read properly). Then a couple more months after we'd replied to the query. Then they raised another irrelevant query, and another couple of months before they dealt with our reply. I think they were just making up "reasons" to delay it because they weren't going to meet their target timescales for handling applications, so made up queries to reset the clock.

Goodness @taxguru that is shocking. Sounds so random.

From sending the application to having it granted (last autumn) was about 6 weeks. A solicitor was dealing with it. But it took about six months to get to the point that he was ready to apply for it, and it was a very simple straight forward case, one person who had a will and only normal sorts of disbursal etc.

Thank you. What a nightmare @taxguru. There's a solicitor involved with this one I think. I'll keep a year in mind as the possible worst case scenario.

I think what seems to take the time is accounting for all the assets before you even get to the point of submitting an application, valuing property etc. We paid a solicitor to do an online asset search, and that took a month or so.

Exactly the same as my mum's estate. Except the executors, brother and sister, didn't think to inform us collectively that probate had been sorted until 3 months after. As a beneficiary, I had to ask the solicitor if probate had been sorted. Mum died last April. Probate application in early November and granted week before Christmas.

Interim payments (minimum legally required to be given) now received. House sold and awaiting final payments.

I'm extremely upset with my sister as I did a lot to support her and we met up in February for a catch up and she never said anything about probate being settled despite being asked directly.