How long does the grant itself take?

HMCTS typically issues a grant within four to sixteen weeks of a complete application. Stopped applications, usually for a missing document or an IHT mismatch, take considerably longer.

Process · 6 min read

The probate timeline, month by month

A straightforward estate takes around nine months from death to distribution. Here is where the time actually goes, so you can tell beneficiaries something honest.

Written and reviewed by Ramani Gill, Founder & CEO — Solicitor, TEP, BA, LLM. Last reviewed 2026-08-19.

The typical shape of an estate

Period	What happens
Weeks 1 – 2	Register the death, Tell Us Once, funeral, secure the property
Weeks 2 – 8	Write to every asset holder, gather date-of-death valuations
Months 2 – 3	Value the property, decide excepted estate or full IHT400
Month 3 – 4	Pay any Inheritance Tax due, obtain the IHT421 or unique code
Month 4 – 5	Submit PA1P or PA1A; grant usually issues in 4 – 16 weeks
Months 5 – 8	Collect in assets, place statutory notices, settle debts
Months 8 – 12	Sell or transfer the property, prepare estate accounts, distribute

The deadlines that actually bind

Register the death within five days
Inheritance Tax is due six months after the end of the month of death; interest runs from then
The IHT400 must be delivered within twelve months of the end of the month of death
A 1975 Act claim can be made within six months of the grant

The tax comes before the grant

Where Inheritance Tax is payable, HMRC must be paid before the grant is issued. That chicken-and-egg problem is solved by the direct payment scheme or by paying the property element in instalments.

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What tends to add months

A property that is slow to sell
Missing paperwork on an old share holding
An HMRC enquiry into the value of the estate
A beneficiary who cannot be found
A caveat or a threatened claim

GOV.UK — Applying for probate

Common questions

How long does the grant itself take?: HMCTS typically issues a grant within four to sixteen weeks of a complete application. Stopped applications, usually for a missing document or an IHT mismatch, take considerably longer.

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