Informal probate cases can take as little as one week from the start of probate, but typically take approximately three weeks. Taking into account that most cases cannot start until thirty to forty days after the date of death, most small estates can be resolved about two months after death.
Larger estates that require formal probate last a minimum of four months (estates under $300,000), but can last much longer. An estate over $300,000 will take at least nine months to complete, but there is a case in Clark County currently that has been ongoing for thirty years (as of 2018)! Most estates over $300,000 take approximately eighteen months to complete.
There are many reasons why probate takes a long time, including periods of time required by law to allow parties who may have an interest in the estate to come forward. The estate cannot be distributed until the court is sure that beneficiaries and creditors have had time to come forward.
In some cases, a partial distribution of an estate may be made in the middle of the case, but this assumes that the estate is large enough that the undistributed amount would be sufficient to pay debts and administrative costs.