Executors and beneficiaries
How long after death is a will read?
Written and reviewed by our experienced team. Checked against GOV.UK and the sources listed at the end on 15 September 2026. ProbateCheck is an independent service, not a law firm.
There is no formal reading of the will in England and Wales; that scene is fiction. After a death the executors find the will and, as HMRC's own guidance says, do not have to supply beneficiaries with its details at that stage, although they normally do. The will becomes a public document once the grant of probate is issued, and the record appears online about 14 days later, when anyone can order a copy for £16. Checked 15 September 2026.
People ask this because films show a solicitor gathering the family to read the will aloud. Nothing in English law requires it and, in practice, it does not happen. What happens instead is a sequence of private steps followed by a public one. Checked against the sources listed at the foot of this page on 15 September 2026.
What actually happens, and when
The executors find the original will
GOV.UK says the person who died should have told their executors where it is: at home, with a solicitor or probate practitioner, or deposited at the national probate registry in Newcastle. The Law Society's guidance is that a valid will speaks from the date of death and the executors are entitled to the original will from that date, subject to proving who they are.
Beneficiaries are usually told, informally
HMRC's Trusts, Settlements and Estates Manual puts it plainly: "At this stage executors do not have to supply beneficiaries with details of the will ... However executors normally pass on the information." There is no statutory deadline. Most executors tell the main beneficiaries within a few weeks, often by letter, sometimes with a copy of the will, sometimes only with details of the gift.
The estate is valued and probate applied for
The executors work out what the person owned and owed, deal with any Inheritance Tax, and apply for the grant. GOV.UK says valuing an estate can take several months. How long the probate registry then takes is covered in how long does probate take.
The will becomes public
When the grant is issued, GOV.UK confirms the will and any codicils are kept by the probate registry and become a public record. A new probate record is online approximately 14 days after probate has been issued, and anyone can order a copy of the grant and will for £16.
Beneficiaries are paid
Only after debts, tax and expenses are settled. That is why being told you are a beneficiary and receiving anything can be many months apart. Anyone who thinks the will failed to make reasonable provision for them (a spouse, a child, a dependant) generally has six months from the grant to apply to the court under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, which is one reason executors often wait before paying out.
| Moment | Who can see it | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Before probate is applied for | The executors. They control the original and choose who to tell; beneficiaries have no automatic right to a copy. | HMRC TSEM6051; Law Society practice advice |
| Once the grant is issued | Anyone. The will and codicils are kept by the probate registry as a public record and appear in the online index about 14 days later; a copy is £16. | GOV.UK applying-for-probate; search-will-probate |
| If probate is never needed | Only the executors and whoever they show it to; the will never enters the public record. | GOV.UK search-will-probate (records are of grants issued) |
| If there is no will | There is nothing to see; the intestacy rules decide who inherits. | GOV.UK |
Who can see the will before probate
Before the grant, the will is private. The executors hold it and control who sees it. A beneficiary has no automatic right to a copy at that stage, though a well-run estate will usually tell you what you have been left. If you are told nothing, the will still becomes public once probate is granted, and you can read it yourself: see how to find out if you're a beneficiary and is a will a public document.
How to find out without waiting to be told
- Check whether probate has been granted. Search the probate records by name and year of death. If a grant exists, the will is public and a copy is £16.
- If the death was recent, nothing will show yet. A standing search (£4, valid six months, extendable) sends you the grant and will automatically when they are issued.
- If probate is never needed (small estates, everything jointly owned), no grant is issued and the will never becomes public. In that case only the executors can show it to you.
- If there is no will, there is nothing to read: the intestacy rules decide who inherits. See what happens when someone dies without a will.
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Start with a free checkFrequently asked questions
Is there a legal reading of the will in the UK?+
No. In England and Wales there is no formal or legal reading of the will. Executors locate the will and deal with the estate; beneficiaries are told, usually informally, and the will becomes a public document once probate is granted.
When do beneficiaries find out they are in a will?+
There is no fixed time. HMRC's guidance says executors do not have to give beneficiaries details of the will before probate, but normally do. Most beneficiaries hear within weeks of the death, in writing from the executor or the solicitor acting for the estate. Once the grant is issued, anyone can read the will by ordering a copy for £16.
Can an executor refuse to show me the will?+
Before probate, yes: the will is private and the executors control it. After probate it is a public record and you can obtain a copy without their permission. If probate is never applied for, the will stays private.
How long after death does the will become public?+
About 14 days after the grant of probate is issued, which itself follows the executors valuing the estate, dealing with any Inheritance Tax and applying. GOV.UK says valuing an estate can take several months, so the will typically becomes public some months after the death.
How do I get a copy of the will?+
Search the England and Wales probate records for the person's name and year of death. If a grant has been issued, order the record from GOV.UK for £16; it includes the will where one was proved. Or we obtain and explain it for £29.
When do beneficiaries receive their inheritance?+
After the grant is issued and the estate's debts, tax and expenses are paid. Being told you are a beneficiary comes first; payment comes when the administration allows, often many months later.
What if I think there is a will but nobody will tell me?+
Check the probate records. If a grant exists, the will is public. If not, lodge a standing search so that you are sent the documents when a grant is issued. If the estate is small and probate is never applied for, the will may never enter the public record.
Sources checked for this guide
- HMRC Trusts, Settlements and Estates Manual TSEM6051: first duties of executors (no duty to supply beneficiaries with details before the grant; will public once probate is taken out) (read 15 September 2026)
- GOV.UK: Applying for probate, after you've applied (will and codicils kept by the registry and become a public record) (read 15 September 2026)
- GOV.UK: Search probate records (online approximately 14 days after probate; £16 per copy; standing search £4) (read 15 September 2026)
- GOV.UK: Applying for probate if there's a will (where the original will may be held) (read 15 September 2026)
- GOV.UK: Valuing the estate (valuing an estate can take several months) (read 15 September 2026)
- Law Society practice advice: when is an executor entitled to the original will (from the date of death) (read 15 September 2026)
- PDA Law (SRA-regulated solicitors, secondary source): no formal reading of the will; no legal deadline to notify beneficiaries (read 15 September 2026)
- Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, section 4 (applications within six months of the grant, except with the court's permission) (read 15 September 2026)