How Long Does Probate Take in the UK? A Guide for Executors

Many executors ask, ‘How long does probate take?’, especially when faced with uncertainty after a death. The answer depends on several factors, including whether there’s a valid will, the size and complexity of the estate, and how efficiently the paperwork is handled.

While some estates may be settled in a matter of weeks, others can take many months, especially when delays arise due to disputes, tax issues, or missing information.

If you’re the executor of a UK estate, check out our Executor Insurance Guide, Probate House Insurance and Executor Home Insurance pages to fully understand your liabilities to the beneficiaries and third parties.

Probate in the UK usually takes between 6 and 12 months. However, simple estates can be completed in as little as 8 weeks, depending on complexity and court delays.

Probate is the legal process for managing and distributing someone’s estate after they die. Whether there’s a will or not, the time it takes can vary based on the estate’s complexity, the presence of disputes, and how efficiently paperwork is handled.

In this guide, we’ll explain probate timelines, recent improvements, and how insurance products like Section 27 and Early Distribution Insurance can help executors avoid delays.

What Affects How Long Probate Takes?

Several factors can influence probate timelines, including:

Estate complexity: More assets, properties, or overseas holdings increase timeframes.
Presence of a will: Missing, invalid, or contested wills lead to delays.
Executor duties: Executors must locate assets, settle debts, and distribute the estate responsibly.
Family disputes or claims: Challenges under the Inheritance Act can delay distribution.
Registry processing times: Paper applications typically take longer than digital submissions.

Understanding these factors helps answer the core question: ‘How long does probate take in the UK?’ It depends entirely on the estate’s complexity and administration.

How Long Does Probate Take for Different Types of Estates?

Most estates are administered within 6 to 12 months, but:

Straightforward digital applications: Can be granted in as little as 4–8 weeks.
Complex estates or paper forms: May take several months or longer.
Contentious or high-value estates: Can extend beyond a year, especially with disputes or trusts involved.

A 2024 government update noted that wait times for simpler cases had halved thanks to digitisation, but law firms warn these statistics don’t reflect complex cases.

Source: Government Press Release on Probate Waiting Times

Statutory Waiting Periods After Probate Is Granted

After the Grant of Probate is issued, two key timelines can still delay estate distribution:

Inheritance Act Claim Period: A 6-month window for eligible individuals (spouses, dependants) to challenge the will.
Section 27 Notice Waiting Period: A 2-month period after advertising in the Gazette, allowing creditors to come forward.
- Section 27 Notices are also, in our opinion, obsolete with Section 27 Insurance and Deceased Credit and Liability Reports.

While these are protective measures, they also extend the timeline before funds can be safely distributed.

How to Speed Up Distribution with Insurance

Executors can bypass delays using specialist probate insurance:

Early Distribution Insurance: Lets you distribute funds immediately after probate is granted, no need to wait 6 months (provided there are no known issues).
Section 27 Insurance: Protects against unknown creditors without needing to go to the expense of formal 27 notices and waiting for them to expire.
Missing Will Insurance: Covers liability if another will is discovered after distribution.
Missing Beneficiary Insurance: Helps when some family members cannot be traced, particularly in intestacy cases.

These products offer confidence and can accelerate estate distribution significantly.

Common Delays Executors Should Plan For

Even efficient applications may be delayed by:

Errors in inheritance tax forms or missed deadlines.
Delays in property sales or valuations.
Difficulty locating all financial assets or beneficiaries.
Cross-border legal issues if assets exist overseas.

Professional support can mitigate these problems.

Final Thoughts: How Long Does Probate Take?

If you’re still wondering ‘How long does probate take?’, remember that proper planning and protection can drastically shorten your wait.

For simple estates with digital applications, probate may be complete in under 2 months. For more complex cases, expect up to a year or more.

Using probate insurance and preparing early can help executors shorten this timeline and minimise personal risk.

Lastly, if there is property in the estate, these three pages are essential reading:

Arranging unoccupied executor home insurance, which explains your liabilities
Unoccupied Probate House Insurance – understanding the specialist cover available to you
Insuring an occupied property during probate.

Learn more about our Insurance & Probate Risk Management Expert, Rob Faulkner

Rob Faulkner is a leading expert in executor risk and probate insurance with almost 30 years' industry experience. He is the founder of Insuristic, a specialist provider of probate-related insurance solutions and educational content for executors.

As an ACII-qualified Chartered Insurance Broker, Rob has led product innovation at insurers, brokers, and Insurtech firms, always with a focus on clarity, simplicity, and fairness.

He’s passionate about helping everyday people, executors, beneficiaries, and law firms, choose the right probate or unoccupied home insurance policy, without jargon, inflated fees, or hidden commissions.

He is especially passionate about product development and marketing, which sit at the heart of our customer-first approach.

Want to learn more? Visit my author page or follow me on LinkedIn.