Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in Washington

Re: What are timelines for probate after a death in the family

Well, I talked to a woman last year whose mother had died twelve years previously and the daughter only noticed there was a problem when she went to refinance her mother's house and couldn't.

Probate is not self executing. Nothing is going to happen, and therefore nothing is going to get resolved until a probate is opened.

It may or may not be necessary to give notice to creditors. Assets have to be marshalled, bills paid from the estate, if the estate has assets. If there are no assets the court is going to get involved with the administration of the estate.

Probate could be finished in as little as three months, ideally. Usually it takes six months, a year, maybe longer to get to distribution for a complex estate.

Hope this helps. Elizabeth