Colorado probate timeline, step by step

1. Within 10 days of deathDeliver the original will to the court. Whoever has it lodges it with the district court in the county where the person lived, even if no probate is planned.
2. 120 hours (5 days) after death at the earliestApply to be personal representative. With a will, usually the person named as executor. Without a will, Colorado law sets the order of priority (spouse, then adult children, and so on). A creditor can't apply until 45 days after death.
3. Often 1 to 4 weeks after filingReceive Letters. The court issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration. This is the moment the personal representative can sign a listing agreement and contract.
4. Publish once a week, 3 weeks in a rowNotify creditors. Creditors get at least 4 months from the first publication to file claims. Known creditors who are mailed notice get 60 days. Every claim from before death is barred 1 year after death.
5. Within about 3 months of appointmentInventory the estate. The personal representative lists the assets and their values and gives the inventory to the heirs.
6. Usually during the creditor periodSell the house, or prepare to distribute it. Most Colorado personal representatives can sell during the creditor period without a court order. The proceeds go into an estate bank account.
7. After the claim deadlinePay valid debts and expenses. Funeral costs, final bills, taxes and approved claims are paid in the order the law sets.
8. 6 months after appointment or 1 year after deathDistribute and close. The earliest an informal estate can close by sworn statement is whichever comes first.

Timelines vary by county and by family. Will contests, missing heirs, supervised administration and real estate in other states all add time.

What slows a probate down

• A will that's missing, handwritten or contested.
• Heirs who can't be found or who disagree about the house.
• A house full of belongings that nobody has time to clear.
• A mortgage or reverse mortgage falling behind while the family waits.
• Waiting to price the house until probate is "done" instead of listing once Letters are issued.