Estate administration follows a fairly predictable order, even though every estate moves at its own pace. Enter the date of death below to see typical windows for each stage — including the one truly fixed deadline: the Estate Information Return.
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Enter the date of death to see typical dates for each stage of probate and administration.
Most of this timeline is a typical window — one date on it isn't.
Once a Certificate of Appointment issues, the Estate Information Return is due 180 calendar days later — a fixed statutory deadline, not an estimate. Almost every other date on this timeline is typical rather than fixed: court processing time for the certificate varies widely by court office, and how quickly debts, the terminal tax return and the final distribution wrap up depends on the estate's size and complexity.
The calculator above scales the typical windows by how complex your estate is — use the date of death and see how the rest lines up.
Why many executors wait before the final distribution.
Claims under Part V of the Succession Law Reform Act — a dependant seeking support from the estate — generally must be brought within six months of the certificate issuing. Distributing the estate before that window closes can leave an executor personally exposed if a valid claim later arrives, which is why many estates aim for roughly a year — the informal "executor's year" — before a final distribution and passing of accounts.
Enter your own date in the calculator above for your own version of this timeline.
Yes — it's a fixed statutory deadline of 180 calendar days after the Certificate of Appointment issues, unlike most of the other windows on this timeline, which are typical rather than fixed.
No — it depends on the assets and how they're held. Some estates, or some assets within an estate, can be dealt with without a Certificate of Appointment. See our probate centre for when it's actually required.
Largely because of the six-month window for a dependant's support claim under the Succession Law Reform Act — distributing before that window closes can leave an executor personally exposed if a valid claim arrives later. Many estates target roughly a year, the informal "executor's year," as a result.
Yes. A small, uncomplicated estate with one executor and no probate required can move considerably faster than these typical windows. This calculator shows a general order of events, not a floor or a ceiling.
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