Legal Advice To Help Build Your Future

What can executors do to make probate faster?

On Behalf of | Feb 5, 2025 | Estate Planning

Passing the estate you have been asked to execute through probate can be time-consuming. The longer it takes, the more likely the beneficiaries are to become frustrated, which could lead to problems if they believe the delay is your fault.

While everyone needs to understand that probate will take time,  the following steps can help you keep that time as short as possible.

Be methodical

Executing an estate requires you to do things in the correct order, so don’t try to skip steps. Slow and steady is a wise mantra here, as many of the tasks are complex and require concentration if errors are to be avoided. Trying to rush through your probate tasks will increase the chance of mistakes that slow the whole process down. 

Ask for assistance

You do not need to do everything yourself, even though you are the only person the deceased named as executor. Family members of the deceased can help you uncover and catalog the deceased’s assets and get in touch with those you need to contact. The legal firm the deceased worked with to create the will can probably furnish you with a copy of the estate planning documents. If the deceased owned a business, business associates or employees may offer help regarding that.

Another reason you might need help is to value assets. Professional appraisers exist for things such as artwork, antiques and furniture, and realtors can help you put an accurate value on houses and other pieces of real estate.

Consider summary administration

For smaller estates, those with less than $75,000 in assets, or estates were the decedent passed more two years ago, summary administration may be a tempting option. It offers simplified procedures which can vastly accelerate the probate process.

Help is available for this important duty

Administering an estate is a lot of work that must be done. But you can secure help by using estate funds to pay for legal guidance.