There are a few planning mechanisms we can use, depending on how you hold your assets (real estate, IRA, stocks, CDs) so that a probate administration is not necessary.  However, depending on your assets, if you are married, and who your intended beneficiaries are, a probate proceeding may be the cleanest and easiest way to administer your estate.   *Probate proceedings do take up to a year for simple estates because of statutory timelines built into the probate process.  Once the probate has been initiated, notice of the probate is published in a local newspaper at which time a four-month clock begins to run during which time any creditors of the estate must let us or the court know that they have a claim against the estate.  After the four-month clock has tolled, any outstanding claims that we are not aware of are barred and cannot come after your beneficiaries.