What the Grant document is, how many sealed copies to order, and how to use it with banks, HMRC, and the Land Registry.
This guide is part of ProbateHelp's Probate Process guide cluster. Estimated reading time: 10 min.
Also searched as: grant of representation; does a will become public.
GOV.UK currently says you will usually get probate within 12 weeks of submitting the application. Applications that need extra information, missing documents, IHT checks, caveat checks, or other queries can take longer. You can track an online application by signing into the probate service. If you applied by post and have heard nothing after 12 weeks, contact the Courts and Tribunals Service Centre on 0300 303 0648.
In a limited way, yes. You can register the death, arrange the funeral, and notify organisations of the death before the Grant arrives. Some banks will release funds directly to pay funeral costs without seeing the Grant. However, you cannot legally transfer property, sell assets, or close accounts until you hold the Grant.
Yes. You can order additional sealed copies after the grant is issued. Copies requested with the application cost £2 each; copies requested later cost £16 each. Order the number you expect to need with the application.
No. Banks and other financial institutions are required to accept sealed copies of the Grant — they cannot insist on the original. If a bank tells you they need the original, ask to speak to their bereavement team and explain that sealed copies are legally equivalent. If they continue to refuse, contact the Financial Ombudsman Service.
Return the Grant to the district probate registry listed on the document and explain the error in writing. The registry will issue a corrected Grant. Do not attempt to use a Grant with an error in it — banks and the Land Registry may reject it.
No. A Grant of Probate does not have an expiry date. However, if more than four years have passed since the Grant was issued and the estate has not been fully administered, you may face questions from HMRC or beneficiaries about the delay. There is no legal time limit on administration, but executors have a duty to act reasonably promptly.
If the will is successfully challenged or a codicil is discovered after the Grant is issued, the original Grant may need to be revoked and a new one issued. This is a complex situation and you should take legal advice immediately. If a Deed of Variation is agreed between beneficiaries after the Grant, the Grant itself does not need to change — only the distribution of the estate changes.
Yes. A UK Grant of Probate is valid throughout England and Wales regardless of where the executor lives. If the deceased had assets in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you will need to reseal the Grant in those jurisdictions. For assets in other countries, you will need to take separate legal advice in each jurisdiction.