Roseville, CA estate planning & probate attorney Kristin M. Kaminski talks about probate. She states that probate is a court-supervised process which, in California, typically takes an average of sixteen months to complete. Its purpose is to ensure the orderly transfer of a decedent’s assets to the appropriate beneficiaries or heirs. When there is no will, assets are distributed according to California’s laws of intestate succession. If the decedent left a valid last will, the assets are distributed to the beneficiaries designated in that will.