Thank you for your question. I appreciate your patience while I researched and typed out your answer.

I appreciate your quick reply. A delay by itself isn't indicative of problems or wrongdoing. While it is true that most estates can be wrapped up within a year or less, every estate is different and there can be a variety of circumstances that extend it out. I've worked on estates that have taken years to close.

The first thing you need to find out is the status of the probate estate itself. You can ask the personal representative themselves for an update, or even contact the Clerk of Court in the county where the probate is open, as probate is public record. Some Clerk of Courts even have this information available on their websites. You can get copies of most every document filed in a probate just by paying a small fee per copy at the Clerk's office.

Depending on what you find out, then you decide what to do next. The estate could be in its final stages, and then there's really nothing you need to do. If however, you believe the estate is being mismanaged or the PR is not doing their job, you can petition the court to have the PR removed and a different PR appointed. However, you would need proof of mismangement or wrongdoing.

If you require additional information, press "REPLY" and I will be happy to assist you further.