Probate has a reputation for lasting just short of forever, but it can actually depend on many factors. Some estates settle or close within a few months, or even a few weeks. Others can take a year or longer.

The process involves a good many steps, all of them necessary to move assets from the ownership of a deceased individual into that of a living beneficiary. The decedent's taxes and outstanding debts must be paid before this can happen.

Probate will take longer as the number of estate beneficiaries increases, particularly if they, too, live far from the attorney's office or from the personal representative. This is simply a function of the time it takes to send multiple documents back and forth between numerous people who are located in many different places.

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