Attorney’s fees, executor’s fees, and advertising all account for charges that can add up to 10% to the cost of probate. The executor can charge up to 5% of the estate value. In addition, taxes can take up to 55% of some assets if planning is not done properly.

If everything goes smoothly it can be as quick as a couple of months. It has been estimated that the average is a little over 9 months. Probating an estate while one of the spouses is survived goes much quicker. When you pass assets out of the marriage union it can take considerably longer.

Because the process includes public announcements and a court process, anyone who wants to know the details can check them out. A simple trip to the courthouse or as in some states, you can pull the information up on the computer in your living room.

At anytime during the probate process, anyone can contest the ownership of the deceased assets. Once a claim is filled all assets are frozen and each side (the one making the claim and the executor of the estate) must prove their side, to carry out the transfer of the estate. Once this happens the other three issues can increase dramatically.