I haven’t gotten my California inheritance. What could have happened?

Are you wondering what could have happened to your inheritance? Well, it’s possible that the estate you are set to inherit from needs to go through California probate.

The probate process is necessary when the estate is valued over $150,000 (in personal property) or $5,000 (in real estate) and any of the following are true:

• Property or other assets were designated solely in the decedent’s name.
• Property was owned jointly with others who were not designated as beneficiaries.
• Beneficiaries weren’t designated or died before the decedent.
• The decedent had outstanding debts.
• Creditors are making ungrounded claims on the estate.
• All or part of the will is judged invalid.
• There are multiple wills, or adjustments have been made to the will without thorough documentation.
• There is unclear wording.
• The will is being contested.
• The executor is not acting in the best interests of the beneficiaries.

There are several mandated notifications and waiting periods during probate. Because of this, the absolute minimum amount of time needed to complete the process is seven months. As many people die without having their estate in order, there are usually at least a few hold-ups in the probate process.

At our firm, we estimate approximately a year for the successful completion of probate. However, in the event of will contests or litigation, probate can take up to seven years and drain the worth of the estate significantly.

If you’ve been waiting a long time for your inheritance, you may want to talk to a San Diego probate lawyer at The Grossman Law Firm. We offer Riverside probate, trust administration, will contests, and probate litigation services. For a free, 30-minute consultation with a member of our team, call us toll-free at 888-443-6590. Use our quick contact form to reach us online.

Furthermore, request your FREE copy of Scott Grossman’s book The Insider’s Guide to California Probate and Trust Administration today!