During much of 2023–2024, the term “probate application” was a constant headache and required an extra explanation to the client about the delays. Everyone was told by our clients that “there must be something you can do”, “it can’t take that long” “, can you complain”. The situation reached its lowest point in November 2023, when the average time from submission to Grant hit 15.8 weeks—over three and a half months. In some cases, it took closer to 15.8 months, and we even heard of one or two applications that took as long as two years to receive their Grants. This was an unbearable wait for families trying to sell a house, access savings, or move on with their lives.
However, this year presents a different picture. According to HMCTS data and sector reports from late 2024 into 2025, we are seeing a significant improvement. In December 2024, the average time for a Grant was just over four weeks, and by Spring 2025, this settled closer to 5–6 weeks for clean, digital files. While paper applications remain slower, they have improved from mid-20 weeks to the low to mid-teens.
So, are we “over the hump”? Mostly, yes. However, the new system is much less forgiving. The key distinction now is no longer between paper and digital applications, but rather between submissions that are right the first time and those that require additional processing.
The new reality: speed for the meticulous, pain for the careless
Today’s headline averages apply to non-stopped applications. If yours is halted for a typo, a mismatched executor name, an unexplained staple mark or tear, or because an IHT421 hasn’t yet logged, you leave the fast lane and join a slower, manually handled queue. That’s why some practitioners still report widely variable experiences despite the improved mean.
What worked (and still does)
Professional firms didn’t wait for the registry to rescue them; they rebuilt their own processes:
- Pre-submission audits. Treat the submit button with caution. Confirm HMRC has signalled IHT receipt; reconcile every name to the will and ID; anticipate queries where the will’s condition isn’t pristine.
- Front-loaded onboarding. One complete pack at day one—IDs, asset statements, liabilities, property details—so the file doesn’t stall later.
- True digital adoption. Not just the online portal, but case-management rules that flag missing fields, diarise chasers to institutions, and surface risks early.
These disciplines are why many legal-professional files track the faster end of current HMCTS timings.
The bottlenecks that still bite
Even with improved throughput, some frictions are structural:
- Stopped applications. The #1 time-killer—and somewhat preventable with a careful application.
- IHT timing. Submitting before HMRC has processed the account and notified HMCTS is a near-certain stop.
- Paper-only scenarios. Lost wills, codicils, attorney/executor quirks still push matters into a slower queue.
- Inherent complexity. Contested wills, missing beneficiaries, overseas assets: no service reform eliminates genuine complexity.
Where we land
For straightforward, digital applications prepared with rigour, the 16-week nightmare has receded. Current experience clusters around five to six weeks for clean files, with paper matters typically in the low- to mid-teens—an order-of-magnitude better than the peak. However, we are still not down to the waiting times that existed before the modern digital approach and the centralisation of registries following the closure of localised probate registries.
The profession’s competitive edge isn’t “chasing the registry”; it’s error-proofing our own submissions. Is this what HMCTS always wanted —to reduce errors, ensure that professionals are professional, and not delegate work to the cheapest intern, hoping the registrar would point out any mistakes?
What are you seeing on the ground? Share your 2025 timelines (digital vs paper, stopped vs clean) in the comments—and the one change that most improved your right-first-time rate.
EXPLORE