Probate timelines aren’t always the same — here’s why…

When it comes to settling an estate, people are often surprised by how different the timelines can look. Some move quickly, some take much longer — and it’s not always for the reasons you’d expect.

There are really two components to settling an estate, and understanding them helps make the whole process a little less confusing.

1. Applying to the court for the Certificate of Appointment

The first step is making an application to the courts so you can receive a Certificate of Appointment. This is where the court looks at the will that was submitted, confirms that it’s valid, and agrees on who the estate trustee (executor) is.

Once that’s done, the executor officially has the authority to start handling things.

2. Settling the estate itself (the “paperwork stage”)

The second part is actually settling the person’s estate — completing all the necessary pieces, closing accounts, collecting information, paying outstanding amounts, and so on.

If things are pretty straightforward — a will in order and not a lot of moving parts like corporations or businesses — you can often see everything wrapped up in about six months.

But there’s one important caveat…

The tax-year wrinkle no one tells you about

This is something I learned firsthand when I helped as the executor for my grandma.

She passed away in January, which meant we had to wait until the next April tax year opened to fully complete everything. You need that final tax return to understand the tax implications before distributing anything — otherwise you risk not having enough money left in the estate to pay what’s owed.

On the flip side, I had a friend who lost someone in December, and their estate settled around the exact same time ours did.
The only difference? Because my grandma passed in January, the timing of the tax year meant our process took almost 12 months longer.

Same tasks.
Same process.
Completely different timelines.

Why this matters

When people hear “probate,” they often think it’s either very quick or painfully slow — but the truth is, it depends on things like:

• the clarity of the will
• the complexity of the assets
• how organized everything is
• and yes… even the month the person passed away

Timelines can vary more than people expect, and sometimes it’s simply because of how the tax year falls.

If you’re going through this right now, or helping someone else through it, know that the process isn’t always predictable — and that’s normal. A bit of understanding goes a long way in making the journey feel less overwhelming.

If you ever need clarity on how the estate process ties into mortgages, refinancing, or anything on the financial side, I’m always here to help.