One bit of advice I give clients in regards to estate administration is probate is not necessarily a train wreck. A lot of clients have family histories of uncle Joe and the probate nightmare he was involved with. Some probates are more complicated than others, but it’s rare, at least in my practice, that I’ve seen any kind of probate nightmares. Similarly, a client needs to be patient during the probate process. There are certain windows that have to be offered for creditors to make claims against an estate.

The personal representative should file income tax returns on behalf of the decedent and maybe the estate too. And finally, if there is real property involved at the estate, it may take time to get the right price. So be patient. The process is fairly efficient, but it does take time.