Understanding a grant
How long does probate take?
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.
Probate took a mean of 5 weeks from application to grant in January to March 2026, with a median of 1 week, according to HM Courts and Tribunals Service statistics published on 25 June 2026. Digital applications that were not stopped took about 2 weeks; applications that were stopped took 14 weeks on average. GOV.UK still says to allow up to 12 weeks. Checked 15 September 2026.
Estimate your probate timing
Every figure comes from HMCTS statistics for January to March 2026 (published 25 June 2026) or GOV.UK guidance. It is an estimate for planning, not a promise.
Application to grant
About 2 weeks from submission to grant
HMCTS reports that digital probate grants that were not stopped took approximately 2 weeks from application submission to grant issue in January to March 2026. Most applications follow this path: 93% were digital and the median across all grants was 1 week.
Before you can apply
Excepted estate: GOV.UK says you can apply for probate straight away once you have the estate values, so the clock starts as soon as you submit.
After the grant
The record appears in the online probate index approximately 14 days after the grant is issued (GOV.UK).
No property to sell: once banks receive the grant they release the money under their own rules, so the estate can often be closed within weeks of the grant.
Sources: Family Court Statistics Quarterly, January to March 2026 (Ministry of Justice, 25 June 2026); GOV.UK Applying for probate. Checked 15 September 2026. Next HMCTS edition due 24 September 2026.
The official figures, with the source
| Measure | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Mean time, application submitted to grant issued | 5 weeks | Family Court Statistics Quarterly, January to March 2026 (published 25 June 2026) |
| Median time, application to grant | 1 week | Same publication |
| Digital applications not stopped | about 2 weeks | Same publication |
| Applications that were stopped | 14 weeks on average | Same publication |
| Applications that were not stopped (all routes) | 2 weeks | Same publication |
| Share of applications made digitally | 93% (grants: 94%) | Same publication |
| Applications received in the quarter | 65,254 | Same publication |
| Grants issued in the quarter | 62,261 | Same publication |
| Paper applications | No separate mean published; GOV.UK says paper takes longer than online | GOV.UK, Apply for probate |
| GOV.UK service guidance | usually within 12 weeks of submitting | GOV.UK, Apply for probate |
| Record appears in the online index | about 14 days after the grant | GOV.UK, Search probate records |
| Postal search response (form PA1S) | within 4 weeks | GOV.UK, Search probate records |
The next quarterly edition (April to June 2026) is due on 24 September 2026; no later quarter had been published when this page was checked.
Why so many pages say 16 weeks to six months
Three different clocks get mixed up. The first is the court's own processing time, which is what HMCTS measures: 5 weeks on average in January to March 2026, and the "16 weeks" still quoted on many sites was a service standard from the backlog years that has not been updated. The second is the whole journey from death to grant, which includes valuing the estate, dealing with HMRC and gathering documents before anyone can apply; that is where "three to six months" comes from, and it depends on the family more than the court. The third is the full administration of the estate, including selling a house, which can run well beyond the grant.
What slows an application down
- Being stopped. The single biggest factor in the data: 14 weeks against 2 weeks. An application is stopped when the registry needs more from you, so answer any request the day it arrives.
- Applying on paper. GOV.UK: "It takes longer to process paper applications than online applications. Apply online if you can." Only 7% of applications were on paper in January to March 2026.
- Needing form IHT400. If the estate is not excepted you must send full details to HMRC first, start paying any tax, and wait for HMRC's unique code before applying. GOV.UK gives no fixed time for the code. Use the excepted-estate checker to see which route applies.
- Missing the original will. A photocopy is not accepted; if the original is lost you apply with form PA13, which takes longer.
- Executor problems. Where an executor has died, cannot act or wants to step down, extra forms (PA14, PA15) are needed before the application can proceed.
From death to grant, not just application to grant
Before the 5-week court figure starts, someone has to register the death, find the will, work out whether probate is needed at all (see do I need probate?), value every asset and debt, and either confirm the estate is excepted or send IHT400 within 12 months of the death. For a simple excepted estate that preparation can be done in a few weeks; for an estate with property, investments and tax to pay it is commonly months. The probate process page walks through each step with its own timing.
Waiting for someone else's grant to appear?
If you are not the applicant and just need to know when a grant is issued, a standing search (£4, six months) sends you the grant and will automatically. Our £29 managed search lodges and monitors it for you and explains the documents when they arrive.
How to use the estimator
Choose online or paper
Online is the route for 93% of applicants and the only route with a published fast track.
Say whether IHT400 is needed
Excepted estates can apply straight away; IHT400 estates must wait for HMRC's code first.
Say whether the application was stopped
Stopped applications averaged 14 weeks, not-stopped 2.
Say whether there is a property to sell
The sale runs after the grant and has no official timing; the estimator says so rather than inventing one.
Read the dated range
Every line names its HMCTS or GOV.UK source and the quarter it comes from.
Let us do the whole search, £29 all in
We search every name variation across the correct index years, obtain the grant and the will, lodge a standing search if no grant exists yet, and explain it all in plain English. Government fees included.
Start with a free checkFrequently asked questions
How long does probate take in the UK in 2026?+
In England and Wales, HMCTS took a mean of 5 weeks (median 1 week) from application submission to grant in January to March 2026, published 25 June 2026. GOV.UK guidance says to allow up to 12 weeks. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate systems.
How long does probate take once submitted?+
About 2 weeks for an online application that is not stopped, and 14 weeks on average if the registry stops it for a query (HMCTS, January to March 2026).
How long does probate take with a will compared with no will?+
HMCTS does not publish separate timings for grants of probate and letters of administration in its quarterly commentary. Both go through the same digital service, so the stopped or not-stopped distinction matters far more than whether there is a will.
How long does probate take by post?+
GOV.UK says paper applications take longer to process than online ones and that you should apply online if you can, and that you will usually get probate within 12 weeks. HMCTS publishes no separate paper average in its quarterly commentary.
How long after death is probate granted?+
Add the time the family needs to value the estate and, where needed, send IHT400 and wait for HMRC's code, then the court's 5-week mean. A few weeks is realistic for a simple excepted estate applied for promptly; several months is normal where there is property, investments or inheritance tax.
Why was my probate application stopped and how long will it add?+
Applications are stopped when the registry needs more information or a document. In January to March 2026 stopped grants took 14 weeks on average against 2 weeks for the rest, so the delay is mostly the time taken to answer the query.
When can I see the grant online?+
GOV.UK says a new record is online approximately 14 days after probate has been issued. A copy costs £16.
Do I have to wait 16 weeks before contacting the probate registry?+
No. GOV.UK says that if you applied by post you should receive a letter or email within 12 weeks, and if you do not you can contact the Courts and Tribunals Service Centre on 0300 303 0648 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm). Online applicants can track progress by signing in.
Sources checked for this guide
- Ministry of Justice, Family Court Statistics Quarterly: January to March 2026, section 17 Probate Service (published 25 June 2026) (read 15 September 2026)
- GOV.UK collection, Family Court Statistics Quarterly (no April to June 2026 edition published as of the check date) (read 15 September 2026)
- GOV.UK, Applying for probate: apply for probate (read 15 September 2026)
- GOV.UK, Applying for probate: after you've applied (read 15 September 2026)
- GOV.UK, Applying for probate: before you apply (read 15 September 2026)
- GOV.UK, Search probate records for documents and wills (England and Wales) (read 15 September 2026)
- GOV.UK, Find a will or probate document: Form PA1S (last updated 6 August 2026) (read 15 September 2026)
- GOV.UK collection, Probate forms (read 15 September 2026)