What's in a probate timeline estimate
Each state page below breaks the timeline into its real drivers: the statutory creditor claim period, whether the state's default process is informal or requires ongoing court supervision, and the typical range for an uncontested estate of average complexity. Every state page also covers the specific factors that most often extend that baseline, and separately explains how administration type — informal versus formal — itself changes the timeline. Every figure is tied to a cited statute or official court source — see our methodology for how we verify each one.
The two things that set a state's baseline
The creditor claim period. Before an estate can close, the executor has to give creditors a window to come forward with claims against the estate — typically triggered by mailing direct notice to known creditors and, in most states, publishing a notice in a local paper for anyone else. That window is set by statute and runs on a fixed clock: some states require as little as a couple of months, others require four to six. Nothing about how organized or fast the executor is changes this specific period — it's the one hard floor under every probate timeline in that state.
Informal versus formal administration. Beyond the creditor window, the biggest swing factor is whether the state lets a straightforward, uncontested estate proceed with minimal court supervision (informal or unsupervised administration) or requires a series of court hearings and approvals throughout (formal or supervised administration). States differ both in which track is the default and in how easy it is to qualify for the lighter one.
What extends a timeline beyond the baseline
Even in a state with a short creditor window and an easy informal track, specific circumstances routinely add months: a will contest or a dispute between heirs, real estate that has to be appraised and sold before the estate can distribute proceeds, a closely held business interest that needs a formal valuation, beneficiaries who can't be located right away, or simply an executor who is slow to file the initial paperwork. None of these are unique to any one state — they extend the timeline anywhere they show up.