In Texas, probate involves a specialized court process that officially recognizes the death of a person and oversees the payment of the debts and distribution of assets.
Probate courts attempt to carry out this role while protecting the interests of the beneficiaries and creditors involved.
This process can take between two months to as long as two years, depending on the complexity of the estate.
Some people die suddenly; others have a long time to prepare for their death. That means that people have varying degrees of estate planning in place at the time of their passing.
Even with advance notice of their mortality, people sometimes put off crucial estate planning tasks.
Doing so can complicate the probate process and drag it out longer than needed.