HOW LONG PROBATE AND ESTATE ADMINISTRATION TAKE IN ALASKA?

When a resident of Alaska dies, surviving family members will eventually need to turn their attentions to closing out his or her estate. If you are in this position, you may wonder what to expect from probate and estate administration. How does it proceed? How long will it take?

Obtaining the answers to these and other questions could help alleviate any anxiety and stress you may feel regarding the process. First, no one can accurately predict just how long the process will take. Too many factors influence how much time is involved. However, if having an average time frame will help, it could take as little as nine months to one year.

If you are the executor of an estate with a will or are appointed to serve as the estate administrator by an Alaska court, you will have numerous tasks to complete. Even when those tasks appear easy, they will more than likely take time to complete. For instance, you must gather and protect all of the assets the deceased individual owned at his or her death. A review of the decedent’s estate plan lets you know whether certain assets are held in a trust, subject to beneficiary designations or other rules that avoid the need to go through probate.

This is just one of the many tasks you must complete during the probate and estate administration process. How long each takes depends on several factors. Moreover, if you miss a step or something else happens that you cannot predict, then the process will take longer. For this and other reasons, many people in your position choose to work with an attorney experienced in this area of law to increase the chances of a smoother, less time-consuming and less costly experience.