Every figure below links to its primary source and states the period it covers. The latest quarterly release, for April to June 2026, was published by the Ministry of Justice on 24 September 2026. Figures may be revised in later releases.
How many probate grants are issued each year?
In 2025, 239,091 probate grants were issued in England and Wales, down 10% on 2024, from 242,821 applications. Probate grants are issued where there is a valid will with an executor; they made up 81% of all grants of representation.
| Measure | Period | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applications for grants of representation | 2025 | 304,944 | FCSQ Oct to Dec 2025 |
| Grants of representation issued | 2025 | 295,418 | FCSQ Oct to Dec 2025 |
| Applications for probate grants | 2025 | 242,821 | FCSQ Oct to Dec 2025 |
| Probate grants issued | 2025 | 239,091 (81% of grants) | FCSQ Oct to Dec 2025 |
| Contested probate cases, Chancery Division | 2025 | 127 (125 in 2024) | FCSQ Oct to Dec 2025 |
| Probate grants issued | Jan to Mar 2026 | 62,261 | FCSQ Jan to Mar 2026 |
| Applications for grants of representation | Apr to Jun 2026 | 77,274 | FCSQ Apr to Jun 2026 |
| Probate grants issued | Apr to Jun 2026 | 57,698 | FCSQ Apr to Jun 2026 |
| Open probate cases at end of period | June 2026 | 47,003 (39,357 a year earlier) | FCSQ Apr to Jun 2026 |
Quarterly figures describe one quarter's activity. Multiplying a quarter by four would be a projection, not an observed annual total.
How many estates are administered without a will?
The closest official measure is the share of grants that are letters of administration without a will, which are issued when someone dies intestate. In April to June 2026 they made up 16% of grants issued, and letters of administration with a will annexed made up 3% (FCSQ Apr to Jun 2026). In October to December 2025 the shares were 15% and 3% (FCSQ Oct to Dec 2025).
This is not the share of people who die without a will. Many estates are small enough, or held jointly, that no grant is needed at all, and a grant can be issued in a different year from the death. For context, 568,613 deaths were registered in England and Wales in 2024 (Office for National Statistics, published 9 October 2025). Read about what happens without a will in intestacy rules.
How long does it take to get a grant?
| Type of grant | Mean time |
|---|---|
| Probate (a will with an executor) | About 5 weeks |
| Letters of administration without a will | About 10 weeks |
| Letters of administration with a will annexed | About 22 weeks |
The same release says probate grants that were stopped, for example because of a problem with the will or a request for more information, took 14 weeks on average, against 2 weeks for those that were not stopped (FCSQ Apr to Jun 2026). For the process itself, see what probate is.
How many people have a will?
No official statistic measures this each year. In a written parliamentary answer on 5 July 2018, the Ministry of Justice said that about 40% of the adult population do not have a will. It did not publish the survey behind the figure, and it is now several years old.
Commercial surveys give different figures because they ask different questions of different groups. Before quoting one, check the exact question, the population, the sample size, the fieldwork dates and the weighting. A question about having any will is not the same as one about having an up-to-date, validly signed will.
What can these figures not tell you?
- Whether a particular will is valid or suits the family it covers.
- How often homemade or online wills fail. We have not found a reliable study that measures this.
- How many families dispute a will without going to court.
- Whether people have named guardians or told their executors where the will is kept.
For your own situation, the free will planner and how to make a will are more useful than national averages.
How should you cite these figures?
Cite the Ministry of Justice or ONS release directly, with the measure, period and geography. If you cite this page, note the date you accessed it and that SwiftWill is a commercial will-writing service summarising third-party statistics, not original research. Our open data page has downloadable datasets on fees and prices.
Sources
- Ministry of Justice: Family Court Statistics Quarterly, April to June 2026 (published 24 September 2026)
- Ministry of Justice: Family Court Statistics Quarterly, January to March 2026 (published 25 June 2026)
- Ministry of Justice: Family Court Statistics Quarterly, October to December 2025 (published 26 March 2026)
- Office for National Statistics: Deaths registered in England and Wales, 2024 (published 9 October 2025)
- UK Parliament: written answer 159531 (5 July 2018)
Sources checked 24 September 2026.