What is the average length of time to complete probate?
Unless there are complications or disputes, most nontaxable estates take between six and ten months for formal administration and four to five weeks for a summary administration. Taxable estates cannot close until the IRS signs off on the Estate Tax Return 706, which has to be filed within nine months after the date of death and often takes that long to prepare. Taxable estates are doing well to close in two years. However, in many taxable estates the work is primarily done in the first nine months, and the rest of the time is spent mainly waiting for IRS review and approval to close the estate. For the IRS publication on estate tax, review this IRS website.
