How long does grant of probate take in 2026? Delays explained

If you are dealing with a loved one’s estate, one of the first questions you will want answered is: how long does grant of probate take?

You have probably already discovered that nobody can give you a straight answer to that. That is not because solicitors are being evasive. It is because probate has several stages, each with its own timeline and each depends on different people responding promptly.

Here is what the current picture actually looks like.

How long does grant of probate take right now?

His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) processes grant of probate applications through the Probate Registry. According to the most recent update to professional bodies, reported by ICAEW in June 2026, average waiting times for online applications are currently running at around 4.3 weeks. Paper applications are taking considerably longer, at around 16 weeks on average, and HMCTS has acknowledged that caseloads have increased since March 2026, reflecting a seasonal peak in applications between January and April.

This is a marked improvement on the position in late 2023, when average waits reached around 12 weeks. Following a government drive to clear the backlog, HMCTS reported cutting average waiting times to just over four weeks by December 2024, with around eight in ten applications now made online rather than by post.

The figure that matters for your planning, though, is not the headline average. It is what happens if your application does not go through cleanly.

The grant is one stage, not the whole process

‘Probate’ in everyday conversation usually means the whole job of dealing with an estate, but the grant of probate itself is just the document that gives an executor the legal authority to act.

Before you can even submit the application in a taxable estate, inheritance tax has to be dealt with:

• Inheritance tax is due within six months of the end of the month of death and, in many cases, must be paid, or a payment arrangement agreed, before the probate application is submitted.
• Where a full inheritance tax return (form IHT400) is required, HMRC needs to process it and confirm the position before the registry will proceed.

Once the grant is issued, the executor still has to collect assets, settle debts, deal with any property sale, observe the standard notice period for creditors, and distribute what remains. For a straightforward estate, most solicitors advise allowing six to twelve months from death to full distribution. Where there is a property to sell, overseas assets, or any dispute, that timeline extends considerably.

Why applications get delayed: what makes a probate application ‘stopped’

The single biggest cause of a long wait is an application that gets ‘stopped’ – put on hold by the registry because something does not match or is missing. Common triggers include:

• Missing or inconsistent documents, such as the original will or a death certificate.
• Figures in the probate application that do not match what has been reported to HMRC for inheritance tax.
• Questions over the physical condition of the will itself – tears, staple marks or unofficial annotations can prompt the registry to query its validity.
• A caveat lodged against the estate, which puts the application on hold entirely until the dispute is resolved.

Once an application is stopped, it typically has to join a separate review queue, which can add weeks or months rather than days.

Reducing the risk of delay

There is not much you can do about HMCTS’s overall workload, but you can materially reduce your own risk of delay:

• Submit online wherever you can. Digital applications are validated as you go and are processed faster than postal ones.
• Get the inheritance tax position right and consistent before you apply. Cross-check every figure between the IHT return and the probate application.
• Gather documents before you start, particularly the original will and multiple copies of the death certificate.
• Respond to any registry query within days, not weeks. A stopped application often waits longest simply because a response is outstanding.
• If a property sale is time-sensitive, flag this clearly and keep evidence of the urgency, though be aware there is no formal expedited service for most personal applicants.

Why is my probate application taking so long? When to chase, and how

Chasing too early rarely helps and can add to the registry’s workload. As a general guide, it is reasonable to follow up an online application that has had no update after around twelve weeks, or a paper application after sixteen weeks. Have your case reference to hand, and keep a written record of what you are told and when.

Getting it right first time

Most of the delay stories you will read about online trace back to the same root cause: an application that was stopped and had to be corrected. Instructing a solicitor does not change HMCTS’s processing times, but it substantially reduces the chance of your application being one of the ones that gets stopped in the first place and means any registry query is dealt with by someone who deals with this every week rather than for the first time.

If you are acting as an executor and would like help getting the application right or want a realistic view of the timeline for your specific estate, our grant of probate solicitors can talk you through what to expect.

This article is for general information only and reflects the position as understood in July 2026. It does not constitute legal advice. Individual circumstances vary, and HMCTS processing times are subject to change – check gov.uk for the latest guidance.