Probate - do you have recent experience?

I don't understand why my experience shows that probate is so much longer than everyone else's.
There's me thinking that a year was a standard length of time, but clearly not.
Perhaps I'm misunderstanding what probate means, in that we gave all the info to the solicitor, and a few weeks later she told us that everything had 'gone to probate' but perhaps she meant that everyone who needed one had a copy of the deed of probate.
All I know is that it took a while before everything was sorted out and received.
It's a bit depressing that we're having to go through it all again so soon.

Yes, I had to get probate for DH'S estate. I hired a solicitor to do the work as I was not confident about some of the legalities. I started the procedure in mid December last year and had the deed of probate in the first week of January. I was told it could take eight weeks but with a professional doing the work it went smoothly.
It turned out to be necessary as a lot of institutions would not release funds without proof of probate and my financial advisor demanded the deed too.

I have never really understood probate; but did not need it when OH died. I presume this was because everything was in joint names.

I have had recent experience with my parents’ Wills; my father’s took 16 weeks, my mother’s 12.
Very straight forward Wills so I have no idea why it took so long.

Unfortunately, I've had very recent, and indeed again ongoing experience here.
In my first experience, probate took a year to sort out because the DWP held everything up.
Then my second was about the same length of time as monies were found which no-one knew were there!
The third is currently ongoing. Everything was handed over to the solicitor about three months ago, but probate only started this last couple of weeks, so I suppose we wait and see...

I did it for my mum online. We didn’t have a house to sell and it was done very quickly. It took less than 8 weeks.

I applied on-line recently. Was very straightforward to do but in my experience the 8 week period quoted is incorrect. I waited 11 weeks, rang them up, spoke to someone who was very disinterested, so asked my MP for help. Sorted in two days then. All Government departments hate MP involvement.

Squeezed probate can take months even with a straight forward will. So don't expect it sorted out any time soon. It all depends on the solicitor and department that deals with probates. Also what part of the country you are in. I would expect it to take 6 months. Great if it's less but that has been my experience.

Yes mil probate was straightforward and all done on line. She died a year ago but probate forms only completed in Jan of this year. Three executors in total but Dh filled in all necessary info on line. It took exactly the length of time it said on gov site. All monies distributed as per will in June 22. Cant fault system.