will

[luco1110]

how long does it take for a will to be read after a person has died
thanks

[boxtops]

It can be done straight away if everything is in order.

[Barmaid]

There is actually no such thing as the reading of a Will. Once the will has been located, there is no reason why the beneficiaries can't be notified of their entitlement - although no requirement for that to happen. I believe probate can't be applied for until 7 days after death.

[dzug2]

Wills aren't read any more - if they ever were. I suspect it's just a dramatic device in novels/films

If you mean obtaining probate, then it's probably a couple of months up to many years, depending on how complex the estate is. An executor has a year before anyone can start asking serious questions.

[factor-fiction]

In my experience reading of wills only ever occurred in Agatha Christie stories.

[Kathyan]

My Mother-in-law passed away two years ago in June. The will wasn't 'read' as such, but my sister-in-law was an executor and she told us what was in the will the day after the funeral. It took about 8 months to sort out. This was in Scotland though!

[Buenchico]

As others have indicated, formal 'will readings' don't take place and (other than in the works of Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, etc) probably never did.

The executor(s) MAY immediately tell beneficiaries (or, indeed, anyone else if they so wish) the contents of the will but they're not obliged to do so. However once probate has been granted, the will becomes a public document, available for anyone to consult.

The probate process can be fairly quick if the will is simple and the testator's affairs were uncomplicated. (I'd completed probate of my father's will, and 'tied up all loose ends' only 2 or 3 weeks after his death). However some complicated wills/estates can take years to sort out (especially where, probably unwisely, the executors have decided to use solicitors to sort out the will).

Chris