How Long Does Probate Take in BC? (Realistic Timelines)

Short answer: getting the grant typically takes 2 to 4 months from starting the paperwork; settling the whole estate usually takes a year or more.

The pieces of the timeline:

• Before filing: gather documents, order the mandatory wills notice search, value assets for the P10, deliver P1 notices, then wait the mandatory 21 days.
• Registry processing: roughly 4 to 12 weeks depending on the registry's backlog and whether your package is complete. Rejected/deficient packages restart much of the wait — completeness is everything.
• After the grant: prudent executors wait out the 180-day wills variation window before distributing (a spouse or child can ask the court to vary the will — see wills variation explained), plus time for the final tax return and CRA clearance.

What actually speeds it up:

1. Order the wills search and death certificates immediately.
2. File a complete, consistent package (names must match exactly across will, P2, and certificates).
3. Respond to registry requisitions same-week.
4. Use a lawyer or notary if anything is non-standard — their rejection rate is far lower.

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Foxglove is a guide, not a law firm. General information, not legal advice; forms and rules change — confirm current requirements with the Supreme Court of BC, the official BC government forms page, or a qualified BC professional. Find vetted BC help →