Farra is a death administration assistant for UK families. Get step-by-step guidance for registering a death, applying for probate, notifying banks, and managing bereavement admin. From essential documents to practical checklists, Farra simplifies estate paperwork and funeral-related tasks so you can focus on what matters.
There is one published figure and it is about inquests. The Ministry of Justice's Coroners statistics 2025 put the average time to process an inquest at 31.3 weeks — from the date the death was reported to the conclusion of the inquest — unchanged on 2024. But the spread is enormous: 29% of inquests finished in under 3 months and 19% took over a year, and the average across coroner areas ranged from 11.2 to 77.4 weeks. Most coroner cases never reach an inquest at all, and no official figure is published for how long those take.
Earlier versions of this page gave week-by-week ranges for "simple", "toxicology" and "complex" cases. Those ranges were not taken from any source and have been removed. The Ministry of Justice publishes timeliness data for inquests only, and this is what it says.
Reported deaths fell 15% in 2025, which the MoJ links to the statutory medical examiner system introduced in September 2024.
The MoJ attributes the variation between areas to differences in staffing and judicial resource, local complexity such as the presence of hospitals and prisons, and the socio-economic make-up of the area — and advises against direct comparison between areas.
Three quarters of deaths reported to coroners are dealt with without an inquest. No official statistics are published for how long those take, so this page does not estimate it. The coroner's office dealing with the death is the only source of a timescale for your case.
A jury is required by law in certain inquests, including non-natural deaths in custody or other state detention and deaths resulting from an act or omission of a police officer. In 2025 there were 527 jury inquests — 1% of all inquests.
Breaking down the process helps understand where time is spent:
The death is reported to the coroner, a post-mortem is ordered if one is needed, and the investigation begins. Section 1 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 requires the coroner to begin an investigation "as soon as practicable" where they have reason to suspect a violent or unnatural death, an unknown cause of death, or a death in custody or state detention. If your religion requires rapid burial, tell the coroner's office at once — no fixed timescale is published for this, but coroners are used to the request.
Waiting for laboratory results. No official turnaround times are published for histology, toxicology or microbiology in coroners' cases, so we do not give ranges. The coroner's officer can tell you what has been sent and when it is expected back.
The MoJ does publish how often these are used: in 2025, 21% of post-mortem examinations included histology and 30% included toxicology.
Coroner's officer gathers evidence: medical records, witness statements, police reports, expert opinions. Complex cases require more extensive investigation.
Coroner reviews all evidence and decides whether an inquest is necessary. If not, they issue documentation for registration. If yes, inquest is scheduled.
Finding a date that works for witnesses, lawyers and court availability. No official figure is published for the wait for a hearing date on its own — the MoJ's 31.3-week average covers the whole period from the report of the death to the conclusion of the inquest.
Disclosure of documents, pre-inquest review hearings, final witness arrangements, and legal preparations. Complex cases may have multiple review hearings.
The hearing itself. Hearing lengths are not published; some inquests are dealt with entirely in writing — 6,448 were concluded that way in 2025.
Understanding what slows investigations:
Toxicology laboratories and specialist pathologists have limited capacity. No official figure is published for the delay this adds. In 2025, 8% of post-mortem examinations required specialist skills, such as a paediatric or other specialist pathologist.
Obtaining complete medical records from multiple providers (GPs, hospitals, specialists) can take weeks or months, especially if records are archived.
Medical experts and specialists are busy professionals, and obtaining expert reports takes time. No official figure is published for how much time it adds.
Capacity varies widely between coroner areas, and the MoJ names staffing and judicial resource as one of the reasons the average time to process an inquest ranged from 11.2 to 77.4 weeks across areas in 2025.
Where criminal proceedings are brought, Schedule 1 to the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 requires the coroner to suspend the investigation. In 2025, 793 investigations were suspended and not resumed because criminal proceedings had answered the statutory questions.
Cases involving police, hospitals, care homes, employers, and regulators require coordinating multiple organizations, each with their own timelines and priorities.
Important distinction: Body release and final conclusion are separate processes:
Regulation 20 of the Coroners (Investigations) Regulations 2013 requires the coroner to release the body for burial or cremation "as soon as is reasonably practicable", and to tell the next of kin or personal representative the reason for the delay if they cannot release it within 28 days of becoming aware the body is in their area. No average is published. In practice the body is released once:
You can proceed with funeral arrangements while the full investigation continues.
The full investigation, including any inquest, continues after the funeral. You'll be kept informed but don't need to wait for completion before having the funeral.
Coroner services vary significantly across England and Wales:
Urban areas: Larger coroner services may have more resources but also higher caseloads. Backlogs common.
Rural areas: Smaller caseloads but potentially fewer resources. May share pathologists with neighbouring areas.
Well-resourced services: Some coroner areas have invested in additional staff and facilities, achieving faster turnaround times.
Under-resourced services: Chronic understaffing in some areas leads to significant delays and backlogs.
Limited options exist to expedite investigations:
If your religion requires rapid burial, tell the coroner's office at once. Regulation 20 already requires release as soon as is reasonably practicable, and coroners are used to handling these requests; the wider investigation continues afterwards. No fixed timescale is published for expedited release.
If you have relevant information, documents, or can identify witnesses, providing this proactively can reduce investigation time.
Regular polite contact with the coroner's officer ensures your case isn't forgotten, though it won't fundamentally speed up unavoidable waits (like toxicology results).
You cannot demand an inquest be scheduled earlier if there's a legitimate backlog, nor can you skip necessary investigative steps. Pushing too hard can damage relationships without achieving results.
If your case is taking many months or years:
Practical steps during the investigation:
You can usually begin administering the estate even before registration. Apply for Interim Death Certificate if needed for urgent financial matters.
While waiting, collect relevant documents, make notes about events while memory is fresh, and identify potential witnesses you may want to suggest.
Use the waiting time to research solicitors, understand funding options, and decide whether you need representation for the inquest.
Don't wait for closure to seek bereavement support. Counseling, support groups, and grief services can help during the investigation period.
If you believe delays are unjustified:
The Ministry of Justice reports the average time to process an inquest as stable at 31.3 weeks in 2025, unchanged on 2024. The distribution has also barely moved: 29% of inquests were completed in under 3 months in each of 2023, 2024 and 2025.
What did change in 2025 was volume. Deaths reported to coroners fell 15% to 147,814, the lowest since the series began in 1995, which the MoJ links to the statutory medical examiner system that started in September 2024. Inquests opened fell only 2%, so inquests now make up a larger share of reported deaths — 24%, the highest since 1995.
When contacting the coroner's office:
Scotland has no coroners. Deaths are reported to the Procurator Fiscal, and where a public inquiry into a death is held it is a Fatal Accident Inquiry in the sheriff court, not an inquest. The MoJ statistics on this page cover England and Wales only and say nothing about Scotland. Contact the Procurator Fiscal's office dealing with the death for a timescale.
Northern Ireland has its own Coroners Service, operating under the Coroners Act (Northern Ireland) 1959 rather than the Coroners and Justice Act 2009. The MoJ statistics on this page cover England and Wales only and do not describe Northern Ireland.