Probate is the process of administering a deceased person’s estate. For those looking to answer the question of how long does probate take in the UK, the detailed guide below will be of use.
Register The Death – within 5 days
The first step of probate is to register the death. To do this, you must have a medical certificate stating the cause of death. Usually, this should be done within 5 days of the death, unless you are waiting for a postmortem.
Once you have the death certificate, you can notify all government departments of the death by using their Tell Us Once service. After the death has been registered, you can go ahead and locate the will and find out the deceased’s wishes.
Value The Estate – 2 – 8 weeks
The next stage of the probate process is to value the estate of the deceased. This should take into consideration all assets and debts. This may include things like property, savings, and investments, as well as loans, credit cards and mortgages.
If the deceased held any propety ists a good idea to get it valued at this stage. This, along with gathering all their other financial documents, will help you calculate the overall value of their assests which you will need to administer probate.
Apply For Probate – 8-16 weeks
The next stage is to apply for probate. You can do this by completing a probate application from the government either online or by post. Your application will require you to submit inheritance tax forms and pay the application fee.
Usually, the wait for probate to be processed is 2-3 weeks. Although if your case is complicated and has many documents, it can take longer.
Administer The Estate – 3-9 months
Once probate has been granted, you will be able to collect the estate’s assets. This will allow you to pay outstanding debts. You may need to sell estate property to resolve those debts.
Administering the estate is usually the longest and most tedious step in the probate process. That is why even if you have not engaged the services of a probate lawyer for the other steps, doing so for this one is a smart move. Indeed, a lawyer can help with all sorts, including submitting the forms to the probate registry, preparing inheritance tax forms and dealing with requests for further information. Of course, having a lawyer handle the entire process for you, from start to finish, is often preferable as it significantly reduces the work and stress involved.
Distribute The Estate – 2 plus weeks
Once you have administered the estate, it’s time to distribute what is left. This means following the instructions laid out in the will, including transferring ownership of any property. During this time, you should also pay any final and admin expenses and close the estate accounts.
Overall, the answer to the question of how long does probate take, is around 6-12 months. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that the probate timeline can be longer if your case is a complex one.