The probate backlog that made headlines in 2023 has largely cleared. At its worst, between July and September 2023, grants took 15 weeks on average from application to issue. Between January and March 2026, the average was 6.4 weeks, and half of all grants were issued within 1.3 weeks. That is faster than before the pandemic: in 2019 the average was between 8 and 10 weeks.
Averages hide the cases that matter, though. An application that gets stopped for more information, or one made on paper, can still take months. For executors planning a property sale, those are the cases to plan around.
How long probate is taking now
These are the Ministry of Justice’s figures for January to March 2026, covering England and Wales. They measure the time from submitting an application to the grant being issued.
| Type of application | Average wait | Half issued within |
|---|---|---|
| Grant of probate (there is a will) | 5.0 weeks | 1.3 weeks |
| Letters of administration (no will) | 10.5 weeks | 11 weeks |
| Letters of administration with will annexed | 20.4 weeks | 17 weeks |
| All applications made online | 4.5 weeks | 1.3 weeks |
| All applications made on paper | 16.5 weeks | 11.9 weeks |
| All grants | 6.4 weeks | 1.3 weeks |
GOV.UK’s own guidance says you will usually get probate within 12 weeks of applying. Most straightforward online applications are now much quicker than that, but 12 weeks is a sensible outer limit to plan with.
For the full series, with charts, see our news piece on how long probate is taking in 2026.
What drives the variability
Whether the application is stopped
This is the biggest single factor. In the Ministry of Justice figures, a stopped application is one where the registry is waiting for a document or a reply from the applicant before it can carry on.
Between January and March 2026, 29.3% of grants had been stopped at some point. Those took 15.7 weeks on average. Applications that went through without being stopped took 2.5 weeks.
The reasons are not published. In practice they include details that do not match the death certificate, a will with marks or alterations on it, and supporting documents that have not arrived.
Online or paper
Applying online is much faster. In early 2026, online applications averaged 4.5 weeks and paper applications 16.5 weeks. Most people can apply online, whether they apply themselves through the GOV.UK probate service or through a solicitor using the MyHMCTS portal. You can still apply by post, but it is much slower.
Whether there is a will
Where there is a will and an executor to act on it, the grant is a grant of probate, and it is usually the quickest. With no valid will, the family applies for letters of administration, which averaged 10.5 weeks. Where there is a will but no executor able to act, the grant is a letter of administration with will annexed, which averaged 20.4 weeks.
Inheritance tax
Most estates below the inheritance tax threshold are “excepted estates”. For those, you report estimated values as part of the probate application and can apply straight away.
If the estate is not excepted, you must send HMRC form IHT400 before applying, and if tax is due, start paying it. HMRC then sends a unique code, and you cannot apply for probate until you have it. You also need an inheritance tax payment reference from HMRC at least three weeks before you can make a payment, so allow several extra weeks before the application can go in.
The basic threshold is £325,000. An extra residence allowance of up to £175,000 can apply when a home passes to children or grandchildren, and unused allowances can pass from a husband, wife or civil partner. Inheritance tax is due by the end of the sixth month after the death, with interest charged after that.
Complications
A missing original will, a disputed will, arguments between beneficiaries, assets abroad, or uncertainty about who inherits under intestacy can all add months. Contested estates can take much longer to resolve.
Planning a property sale around probate
If you are an executor planning to sell a property from the estate, this is the practical sequence.
In the first few weeks
- Register the death and order several copies of the death certificate.
- Find the original will, if there is one, and confirm who the executors are.
- Identify the property and anything secured on it, such as a mortgage or equity release.
- If the property is empty, arrange unoccupied property insurance, keep it secure and manage the utilities.
- Estimate the estate’s value and check whether it is an excepted estate or needs an IHT400.
Making the application
- Apply online if you can. It is the quickest route by some distance.
- Check every name and date against the death certificate before you submit.
- If inheritance tax is involved, wait for HMRC’s code before applying.
While you wait for the grant
- You can put the property on the market and agree a sale, but the sale cannot complete until the grant is issued.
- Instruct a conveyancer early so the title work, searches and contract can be prepared in parallel.
- A cash buyer can do their own checks during the wait, so that exchange and completion follow the grant within days rather than weeks. See our probate property page.
After the grant
- With the grant in hand, the sale can exchange and complete.
- An open-market sale commonly takes 12 to 16 weeks of conveyancing from an accepted offer, and longer if the buyer is in a chain.
- A cash buyer who has done their checks during the wait can usually complete within one to two weeks.
Total time from death to a completed sale
These are rough guides, based on the figures above and typical conveyancing times.
- Open market, simple estate: about 5 to 8 months.
- Open market, with inheritance tax or complications: about 8 to 14 months.
- Cash buyer, simple estate: about 2 to 4 months, most of it the preparation and the probate application itself.
- Cash buyer, with inheritance tax or complications: about 5 to 10 months.
What you cannot speed up
- The Probate Registry. Applications are dealt with broadly in order, and there is no way to jump the queue.
- HMRC. If inheritance tax is involved, HMRC’s code has to arrive before you can apply.
- Missing or disputed documents. If the original will is lost or challenged, everything slows down.
What you can speed up
- Getting it right first time. Most delay comes from applications being stopped. Check every detail before submitting, and get professional help for anything complex.
- Applying online. Online applications took about a quarter of the time of paper ones in early 2026.
- Parallel conveyancing. Instruct a conveyancer early and let them prepare everything during the wait.
- Agreeing the buyer early. A cash buyer can commit to a price during the probate wait, with exchange following the grant.
Related
- How long probate is taking in 2026: the latest official figures, with charts
- Selling an inherited property: the probate sale guide
- Sell a probate property: cash offer for executors
- Grant of probate in our glossary
- Try our probate timeline estimator
If you are selling an inherited property
We buy inherited properties, including ones that need work, and we can agree a price while you wait for the grant. We start our side of the legal work while probate is pending, so exchange and completion can follow quickly once the grant arrives. Share the postcode and a short note on the estate, and we will come back within 24 hours.