How long does it take to finalize an estate?

justforgroup

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Brother died in March 2021, had a will, using a solicitor, probate was granted relatively quickly by November 2021 as I managed to get documentation for everything (bank accounts, pension payments, etc.). However I have heard absolutely nothing ever since, and it's now November 2022.

The beneficinaries are on my back about it. I actually have no idea what's happening after I filled out the SA2. The solicitor said at the time we'd just have to wait. Is it going through revenue/social welfare departments? There's nothing too complicated about the estate - no land holdings or shares, things like that, so I thought everything would be done and dusted in a few weeks. It seems crazy to take this long.

Is this a normal timeframe? What are people's experience in how long it's taking to finalize an estate in 2022? Thanks.
 
I don't understand.
If probate was granted then what exactly are you waiting on?
Why can't the estate be distributed according to the will once probate was granted?
What have Social Welfare got to do with this?
 
Sorry maybe my terms is incorrect. In November I had to fill out SA2 and I think everything was submitted to revenue/social welfare? I don't really know, that's part of the problem. The solicitor just said this is the part which takes the longest - they don't hear anything until revenue, social welfare etc. come back with any tax demand, pension repayment, or whatever. That's the stage I'm in now.
 
We dealt with my mother's estate in the past few years.
She had pension overpayments from SW and my father's public service employment for the couple of weeks after death, but both were obvious, flagged by the relevant institutions, and repaid early on - so they didn't hold things up.
In our case other things did hold the process up but they're probably not relevant to your situation.
 
I think there may be pensions overpayment in my case too.
I was assuming the current process is going through the departments and I would get a tax/welfare repayment demand from revenue/SW at some point. The solicitor said in November that everything on our side had been done. I thought that was probate, maybe it was just confirmation the will was valid/getting all the documentation. It's still a year since then, will it take much longer?
 
will it take much longer?
Sorry, I've no idea because, like you, I have no idea what's going on in terms of where this case is and what might be holding it up. Your solicitor should really be able to advise you better than I or the rest of the forum can.
 
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