How long after...

RSJ84

An accountant and a solicitor are dealing with probate for us, how long after the inheritance tax is paid is probate granted?
How long before money is released to beneficiaries?

Hoenir

All depends on the complexity of the estate. Liquidating assets can take time once probate is granted. Is the IHT being paid in full or just part to obtain probate? The whole process is likely to be measured in months. 

RAS

Assuming 

1. Your representatives made an electronic application
2. HMRC actually sent the required information to the Probate Office (seems to be a regular issue)
3. All the required documentation is with the Probate Office when they review the file
About 10 weeks. 

Double that plus if anything is missing

And double again for paper applications

Depending on the complexity of the estate, liquidity of assets, it could be months to years after probate is granted before everything is finalised. 

If you need money urgently and there are some liquid assets, ask for an interim distribution. But expect an additional fee for the extra work. 

We ended up doing that because one beneficiary needed money by a deadline and a glitch put distribution back a few weeks. Then the final debts were paid, including the legal fees, so the final distribution was about 4 months after probate was granted. But we didn't have any property or shares to sell.

Hoenir

RSJ84 said:

Thanks for the replies, The inheritance tax was paid in full at the start of December. I was told paperwork was then sent off for this. (I don't know if it's online or paper)

When RAS says 10 weeks, do you mean 10 weeks from them getting the inheritance tax paid?

Due to Xmas break nothing would have happened for 2 weeks. If anything the New Year then starts with a backlog of work to be caught up on. Could well be 10 weeks from now. 

Keep_pedalling

Obtaining probate through a solicitor always takes longer than doing it your self, a full year would not be unusual.

thegreenone

Keep_pedalling said:

Obtaining probate through a solicitor always takes longer than doing it your self, a full year would not be unusual.

Not so for me.  I instructed my late mum's solicitor (who held her Will and property deeds).  I think I gave them all the paperwork/their forms end January and they did all the forms for HMRC and Probate.  HMRC took four weeks (instead of the three, at that time early 2021) and Probate was three weeks.  All done in roughly three months.

msb1234

Keep_pedalling said:

Obtaining probate through a solicitor always takes longer than doing it your self, a full year would not be unusual.

Once the application is submitted it’s irrelevant who actually submitted the form. However, a solicitor may take longer to actually submit the application, then once probate is granted, take more time to finalise everything.

RSJ84

I'll provide an update, several months before the grant is issued, I've been told.