What is probate, and how long does it take?

Probate is the court-supervised process of validating a will (or applying default succession rules if there’s no will), paying debts, and distributing assets to heirs. In California, it commonly takes a year or more, involves statutory fees based on the gross value of the estate, and the proceedings become part of the public record. This is a major reason many people build their estate plan around a funded living trust instead.

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