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Free deadline calculator

Contentious probate deadline calculator

A caveat lasts six months and can be renewed, but the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 window of six months from the grant is a hard bar the court may extend only with permission. The two are frequently run together and should not be.

England & Wales ยท Deemed service, clear days and bank holidays applied ยท Methodology

Choose the jurisdiction first. Every published calculator is free, and one Professional subscription covers paid matter records in every published jurisdiction.

Not legal adviceRules reviewed June 2026Result shows its citation and workingCheck the current rule, any order and the facts before diary use

Work backwards from a deadline

Pick a target date and find the latest trigger date that still meets it.

Cited to the rule

Deadlines this calculator covers

22 encoded deadlines, each cited to its rule.

Inheritance Act 1975 claim: six months from the grantInheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, s.4

6 months from The date on which representation with respect to the estate of the deceased is first taken out (grant of probate or letters of administration), as qualified by s.23

Personal representative protection on distributing after six monthsInheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, s.20(1)

6 months from The date on which representation with respect to the estate of the deceased is first taken out

Postponing payment under a contract to leave property by willInheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, s.20(3)

6 months from The date on which representation with respect to the estate of the deceased is first taken out

Inheritance Act claim: acknowledgment of service and written evidenceCPR 57.16(4)

21 days from Service of the Part 8 claim form on the defendant

Inheritance Act claim served out of the jurisdiction: extended response periodCPR 57.16(4A)

7 days from Service of the Part 8 claim form out of the jurisdiction under CPR 6.32 or 6.33

Claimant's evidence in reply in an Inheritance Act claimCPR 8.5(5), applied by CPR 57.16(2)

14 days from Service of the defendant's written evidence on the claimant

Caveat: effective for six months from entryNon-Contentious Probate Rules 1987, r.44(3)(a)

6 months from Date of entry of the caveat

Caveat extension: application only in the last monthNon-Contentious Probate Rules 1987, r.44(3)(b)

1 month before Expiry of the current six month caveat period. The application window is the one month period ending on that expiry date, so the anchor for the backward count is the expiry date, not the opening of the window.

Caveator with no contrary interest: summons for directions after a warningNon-Contentious Probate Rules 1987, r.44(6)

14 days from Service of the warning on the caveator, counting the day of service as day one

Caveator with a contrary interest: entering an appearance to a warningNon-Contentious Probate Rules 1987, r.44(10)

14 days from Service of the warning on the caveator, counting the day of service as day one

Person warning: affidavit of service that kills the caveatNon-Contentious Probate Rules 1987, r.44(12)

14 days from Service of the warning on the caveator, counting the day of service as day one

Standing search: six month coverage and twelve month look backNon-Contentious Probate Rules 1987, r.43(2)(a) and (b)

6 months from Date of entry of the standing search

Standing search extension: application only in the last monthNon-Contentious Probate Rules 1987, r.43(3)(b)

1 month before Expiry of the current six month standing search period. The application window is the one month period ending on that expiry date, so the anchor for the backward count is the expiry date, not the opening of the window.

Appearance to a citation: eight daysNon-Contentious Probate Rules 1987, r.46(6)

8 days from Service of the citation on the person cited, counting the day of service as day one

Citation to an intermeddling executor: not before six months from deathNon-Contentious Probate Rules 1987, r.47(3)

6 months from Date of death of the deceased

Probate claim: acknowledgment of serviceCPR 57.4(2)(a) and (b)

28 days from Service of the particulars of claim, or service of the claim form where the claim form does not state that particulars are to follow

Probate claim served out of the jurisdiction: extended acknowledgment periodCPR 57.4(3)

14 days from Service of the claim form out of the jurisdiction under CPR 6.32 or 6.33

Probate claim: defenceCPR 15.4(1)(b), as applied by CPR 57.4(4)

28 days from Service of the particulars of claim, where an acknowledgment of service has been filed

Rectification of a will: six months from the grantAdministration of Justice Act 1982, s.20(2)

6 months from The date on which representation with respect to the estate of the deceased is first taken out, as qualified by s.20(4)

Personal representative protection on distributing after six months (rectification)Administration of Justice Act 1982, s.20(3)

6 months from The date on which representation with respect to the estate of the deceased is first taken out

Rectification claim: defendant lodges the grant within 14 daysPractice Direction 57, paragraph 10.2

14 days from Service of the claim form on the defendant

Advertisement for claimants before distribution: two months minimumTrustee Act 1925, s.27(1)

2 months from Publication of the notice, or where more than one notice is given, the last of the notices

Time limits at a glance

The headline periods below restate the encoded rules. Run the calculator above for the exact date, with deemed service, clear days and bank holidays applied.

Inheritance Act 1975 claim: six months from the grant: what is the time limit?

6 months from The date on which representation with respect to the estate of the deceased is first taken out (grant of probate or letters of administration), as qualified by s.23, under Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, s.4. The calculator applies deemed service, clear days and bank holidays automatically and shows the rule behind the date.

Personal representative protection on distributing after six months: what is the time limit?

6 months from The date on which representation with respect to the estate of the deceased is first taken out, under Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, s.20(1). The calculator applies deemed service, clear days and bank holidays automatically and shows the rule behind the date.

Postponing payment under a contract to leave property by will: what is the time limit?

6 months from The date on which representation with respect to the estate of the deceased is first taken out, under Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, s.20(3). The calculator applies deemed service, clear days and bank holidays automatically and shows the rule behind the date.

Inheritance Act claim: acknowledgment of service and written evidence: what is the time limit?

21 days from Service of the Part 8 claim form on the defendant, under CPR 57.16(4). The calculator applies deemed service, clear days and bank holidays automatically and shows the rule behind the date.

Inheritance Act claim served out of the jurisdiction: extended response period: what is the time limit?

7 days from Service of the Part 8 claim form out of the jurisdiction under CPR 6.32 or 6.33, under CPR 57.16(4A). The calculator applies deemed service, clear days and bank holidays automatically and shows the rule behind the date.