When it comes to probate and how long it should take, there is no set time. This is because there are a number of different factors which can delay or quicken the process. Some of these factors may be out of your control, some of them may be things you can control. Either way, there is no guarantee of how long probate can take.
The first factor that can affect probate is the estate of the deceased. Generally speaking, if the deceased had just one property and just one bank account, probate should take less time than if the deceased had more than one property and more than one bank account. The higher the number of different assets there were in the deceased?s name, the longer probate should be expected to take.
The second factor is the amount of time the personal representatives or alternative representatives can dedicate to getting probate sorted out. Of course, it helps if representatives can dedicate time to getting probate sorted sooner rather than later.
Other factors which can delay the amount of time needed for probate to be completed may arise. For example, if there are any contests to the deceased?s will, if the deceased did not leave clear records of their assets, or if there are troubles in valuing the deceaseds assets, probate may take longer.
Generally speaking, once the application has been submitted to the probate registry, it should then take about six to eight weeks for the grant of probate to be processed and sent off. Remember that if there are any problems with the application for the grant of probate, this again can add to the amount of time it takes to get probate completed. On average, probate normally takes around six to nine months to complete. In some cases, it may just take a few months to get sorted, while in others, it may take a year or even longer.
