Delays and Managing Expectations
Overview
One of the most common sources of frustration in estate settlement is the timeline - things almost always take longer than expected. You might think account discovery should happen in days, that banks should respond immediately, or that the entire estate settlement process should wrap up in a few weeks. The reality is quite different, and understanding why delays occur, what's normal, and what's not helps manage expectations and reduces anxiety during an already stressful time.
The estate settlement process involves multiple parties - probate courts, financial institutions, insurance companies, government agencies - and each operates on their own timeline. Some are fast, many are slow, and a few are frustratingly unresponsive. Sunset works to keep things moving as quickly as possible, but we cannot control how quickly external parties respond.
A Critical Rule: You Should Never Wait on Sunset for More Than a Few Days
This is important to understand: If you're waiting for something from Sunset and it's been more than 2-3 business days without a response or update, something is wrong. Either:
Your email went to our spam folder
Our email went to your spam folder
There's a technical issue
We missed something (rare, but possible)
What you should expect from Sunset:
Responses to emails within 24 hours (usually much faster)
Status updates when major milestones happen
Proactive communication if issues arise
Document preparation within 3-5 business days
Clear timelines for anything we're working on
What to do if you're waiting on Sunset longer than expected:
Check your spam/junk folder for emails from us
Email [email protected] with "FOLLOW UP" in the subject line
Reference what you're waiting for and when you last heard from us
We'll immediately investigate and respond
The delays in estate settlement almost always come from external parties (banks, insurance companies, probate courts), not from Sunset. Understanding where delays typically occur helps you know what's normal and what requires follow-up.
Where Delays Actually Come From
Financial Institution Response Times (The Biggest Source of Delays)
Banks, investment firms, and insurance companies are the primary cause of timeline extensions. Here's the reality of working with financial institutions:
Why institutions are slow:
Understaffed estate/death benefits departments: Most financial institutions have small, specialized teams handling deceased account holders. These departments are often understaffed and dealing with high volumes.
Example: A major bank might have 5 people handling estate claims for millions of customers nationwide. Your request sits in a queue with hundreds of others.
Multiple internal departments: Your request often passes through several departments:
Initial intake reviews documents
Verification team confirms authenticity
Legal team reviews for issues
Processing team prepares distribution
Final approval from supervisor
Each hand-off takes time. Documents can sit waiting for the next department for days or weeks.
Conservative institutional culture: Financial institutions are risk-averse and cautious with deceased accounts (for good reasons - they want to ensure proper authority and avoid distributing to the wrong person). This caution means:
Multiple levels of review
Requests for additional documentation "just to be sure"
Delays while they research their own records
Waiting for supervisor approvals
Legacy systems and manual processes: Despite modern technology, many institutions still:
Require paper forms (no electronic submission)
Manually review every document
Use outdated computer systems
Have no automated status tracking
Communication breakdowns: Internal communication at large institutions is often poor:
Left hand doesn't know what right hand is doing
Documents get "lost" between departments
Status updates aren't tracked
Representatives give conflicting information
Typical institutional timelines:
Banks (checking, savings, CDs):
Acknowledged receipt: 1-2 weeks
Document review: 2-4 weeks
Approval and processing: 1-2 weeks
Fund release: 3-6 weeks total
Fast institutions: Some banks process in 10-14 days Slow institutions: Some take 8-12 weeks for simple accounts
Investment firms (brokerage, mutual funds):
Receipt acknowledgment: 1-2 weeks
Document review and verification: 3-4 weeks
Liquidation (selling holdings): 1-2 weeks
Distribution processing: 2-4 weeks
Total: 4-8 weeks typical
Retirement accounts (401(k), IRA, pension):
Document review: 3-6 weeks
Beneficiary verification: 1-3 weeks
Tax withholding processing: 1-2 weeks
Distribution: 4-8 weeks total
Complexity adds time:
Required minimum distributions
Multiple beneficiaries
Tax implications
Rollover requirements
Life insurance companies:
Claim acknowledgment: 1-2 weeks
Document review: 2-4 weeks
Death investigation (if policy is new): 2-8 weeks
Processing: 2-4 weeks
Total: 2-10 weeks (highly variable)
Fastest: Term policies with no investigation - 3-4 weeks Slowest: New policies requiring investigation - 10-16 weeks
Why some institutions are slower than others:
Company culture:
Some institutions prioritize efficiency
Others have bureaucratic cultures
Customer service quality varies dramatically
Size and structure:
Smaller institutions sometimes faster (fewer layers)
Larger institutions sometimes slower (more bureaucracy)
But large institutions may have better systems
Type of account:
Simple checking accounts usually fast
Complex investment or retirement accounts slower
Accounts with issues (disputes, holds) much slower
Constant Follow-Up Is Essential
Here's an important truth about working with financial institutions: The squeaky wheel gets the grease.
Why following up helps:
Prevents documents from getting lost:
Documents do get lost, misplaced, or misfiled
Regular follow-up catches this early
"We never received that" is very common (even when you have proof of delivery)
Moves your request up in the queue:
Institutions prioritize cases that are actively being followed up on
Unopened, quiet cases sit longer
Representatives are more motivated when they know you're tracking progress
Identifies issues sooner:
"We need additional documentation" - better to know now than discover this weeks later
"This is with our legal department" - alerts you to a complexity
"There's a hold on the account" - something you need to address
Creates accountability:
Institutions perform better when they know someone is watching
Regular contact prevents your case from being forgotten
Paper trail of contact creates pressure to resolve
How Sunset follows up with institutions:
Regular contact schedule:
Week 1-2: Submit documents, confirm receipt
Week 3: First follow-up - verify documents received, ask for timeline
Week 4-5: Second follow-up - request status update, escalate if no progress
Week 6+: Weekly follow-ups until resolution
Multiple contact methods:
Phone calls to estate departments
Emails to designated contacts
Secure messages through institutional portals
Faxes (yes, some institutions still require this)
Escalation when needed:
Request supervisor review if delays are excessive
Reference regulatory timelines if institution is non-responsive
File formal complaints for extreme delays (rare, but sometimes necessary)
Documentation of all contact:
Track every call, email, fax
Note representative names and employee IDs
Record what was said and promised
Maintain proof of delivery for all submissions
What you can do to help move things along:
If Sunset is handling institution contact (our standard service), you generally don't need to contact institutions directly. However, you can:
Respond quickly when we need something from you:
Sign documents within 24-48 hours of receiving them
Provide additional information immediately when requested
Don't delay on your end - institutions use this as excuse for further delays
Let us know about deadlines: If you have a court deadline, estate closing date, or other time pressure, tell us immediately. We can:
Prioritize your case
Use expedited procedures where available
Escalate more aggressively with institutions
Explore alternative approaches
Provide context about complex situations: If there's something unusual about the estate, account, or situation, let us know:
"This account may have a dispute from my sister"
"The deceased worked for this company 30 years ago, records may be old"
"There was a recent address change that might cause confusion"
Context helps us anticipate and address issues proactively.
Other Common Sources of Delays
Probate Court Processing
Courts move slowly by nature:
Why courts are slow:
Heavy caseloads (especially in large counties)
Limited number of judges
Formal procedures that can't be rushed
Required waiting periods (creditor claims, etc.)
Calendar limitations (hearings scheduled weeks or months out)
Typical court timelines:
Initial filing to hearing:
Small counties: 2-4 weeks
Medium counties: 4-8 weeks
Large counties: 6-12 weeks
Letters testamentary issued:
Usually same day as hearing or within days
Sometimes requires additional procedural steps: 1-2 weeks
Overall probate timeline:
Summary probate: 4-8 months
Formal probate: 9-18 months
Complex cases: 18+ months
What causes court delays:
Incomplete filings (must correct and refile)
Objections from interested parties
Court schedule conflicts
Judge rotation or vacancy
Creditor claim period (required waiting time)
How to minimize court delays:
File complete, accurate documents initially
Sunset prepares documents to reduce errors
Attend all scheduled hearings
Respond promptly to court requests
Consider hiring attorney for complex cases
Verification Delays
Before account discovery can even begin, verification must complete:
Standard verification timeline: 1-3 business days
What causes longer verification:
Information doesn't match databases exactly
Very recent death not yet in all systems
Credit freeze on deceased's credit report
Common name causing multiple matches
Need for additional documentation
Verification delays of 5-7 days are not uncommon.
What you can do:
Ensure information entered exactly matches death certificate
Provide Social Security Number if available
Double-check dates (especially date of birth)
Upload clear, readable death certificate
Document Quality Issues
Poor document quality causes delays throughout the process:
Common problems:
Blurry or dark photos
Partial document (edges cut off)
Missing pages
Seal not visible on death certificate
Signatures not clearly legible
Impact:
Institutions reject documents: 2-4 week delay for resubmission
Verification fails: 3-5 day delay to correct and retry
Need to request corrected documents: 1-2 week delay
Prevention:
Take clear photos in good lighting
Scan at high resolution
Include all pages
Ensure seal is visible
Review before uploading
Missing or Insufficient Documentation
Sometimes initial documents aren't enough:
Examples:
Bank requires medallion signature guarantee (wasn't mentioned initially)
Insurance company needs attending physician statement
Investment firm wants additional identification
Institution requests "certified" copies instead of regular copies
Impact: Each additional documentation request adds 1-3 weeks:
You learn what's needed: 1-2 weeks
You obtain the document: 3-7 days
Resubmit to institution: 1-2 weeks processing
How Sunset helps:
Identifies likely requirements upfront
Prepares comprehensive packages initially
Reduces back-and-forth requests
But institutions sometimes request unexpected items
Beneficiary Complications
Discovering unexpected beneficiaries causes significant delays:
What happens:
Institution finds beneficiary designation in records
Must contact beneficiary
Beneficiary must complete claim forms
Original estate claim is paused or redirected
Timeline impact: 4-8 additional weeks
Common scenarios:
Old IRA with ex-spouse still listed as beneficiary
401(k) has children as beneficiaries, executor didn't know
Life insurance has cousin as beneficiary, family expected estate
How to minimize: During account discovery, try to identify beneficiary designations early by reviewing old account statements, beneficiary forms, or employment records.
Institutional Errors and Lost Documents
Unfortunately common:
What happens:
Institution claims they never received documents (despite proof of delivery)
Documents were sent to wrong department
Representative entered wrong information in their system
Documents were received but not processed
How often: Happens in approximately 10-15% of cases
Resolution:
Sunset maintains proof of all submissions
We resubmit documents
Escalate to supervisors
Document all contact for accountability
Timeline impact: 2-4 week setback each time this occurs
Setting Realistic Expectations by Phase
Phase 1: Account Discovery (After Verification)
Expected timeline: 1-2 weeks for most results
What's happening:
Database queries run (instant to hours)
Institution outreach begins (days to weeks)
Results appear as confirmed
Normal delays:
Bank accounts: Some results instant, some 1-2 days, some 1-2 weeks (extended search)
Retirement accounts: Typically 1-2 days
Life insurance: 2-4 days typical, up to 2 weeks for slow carriers
When to follow up with Sunset:
If no results appear after 2 weeks
If status shows "in progress" but no updates for a week
If you expected more accounts and want to discuss
Phase 2: Document Preparation
Expected timeline: 3-5 business days after you request closure
What's happening:
Sunset identifies required forms for each institution
Completes forms with your information
Prepares supporting documentation
Packages for your review
Normal variations:
Simple bank account: 1-2 days
Complex retirement account: 5-7 days
Multiple accounts: 5-7 days for complete package
When to follow up with Sunset:
If documents not received within one week
If you have urgent deadline and need faster turnaround
If you have questions about documents received
Phase 3: Your Review and Signature
Expected timeline: This is on you - 24-48 hours is ideal
What's happening:
You review forms for accuracy
Sign where indicated
Return to Sunset
Impact of delays: Every day you delay signing adds a day to overall timeline. If institutions have slow periods (holidays, year-end), delays compound.
Best practice:
Review and sign within 24-48 hours
If something looks wrong, contact Sunset immediately
Don't sit on documents for weeks
Phase 4: Submission to Institution
Expected timeline: 1-3 days for Sunset to submit after receiving your signed documents
What's happening:
Sunset verifies all signatures present
Assembles complete package
Submits via institution's required method
Confirms receipt
When to follow up with Sunset:
If confirmation of submission not received within 5 days
If you need proof of submission for your records
Phase 5: Institution Processing (The Long Wait)
Expected timeline: Highly variable, 3-12 weeks depending on institution and account type
What's happening:
Institution receives and logs documents
Document review (multiple levels)
Approval process
Processing distribution
Fund release
This is where most delays occur.
Normal timeline by institution type:
Fast banks: 2-3 weeks
Average banks: 4-6 weeks
Slow banks: 8-12 weeks
Investment firms: 4-8 weeks
Retirement accounts: 6-10 weeks
Life insurance: 3-10 weeks (highly variable)
What Sunset does during this phase:
Week 1-2: Confirm receipt with institution
Week 3-4: First follow-up, request timeline
Week 5-6: Second follow-up, escalate if no progress
Week 7+: Weekly follow-ups, supervisor escalation, formal complaints if necessary
When to contact Sunset:
To request status update anytime
If timeline exceeds what we told you to expect
If you have concerns or questions
You should never wonder "what's happening" - we provide updates, but you can always ask.
Phase 6: Fund Receipt
Expected timeline: 1-5 days after institution releases funds
What's happening:
Institution processes distribution
Funds transfer via ACH, wire, or check
Funds arrive in estate bank account
Normal variations:
ACH transfer: 1-3 business days
Wire transfer: Same or next business day
Check mailed: 5-10 days
When complete:
Funds appear in estate account
You receive notification
Account status updates to "Closed"
Expectations Mismatch: Common Misunderstandings
Misunderstanding: "This should only take a few weeks total"
Reality: Complete estate settlement from death to final distribution typically takes:
Very simple estates (small, no probate): 2-3 months
Average estates (some probate, multiple accounts): 6-9 months
Complex estates (formal probate, many accounts): 12-18 months
Why it takes so long:
Probate court timelines (4-18 months depending on type)
Multiple institutions processing independently (each 4-10 weeks)
Sequential processes (can't distribute until all accounts closed and debts paid)
Required waiting periods (creditor claims, etc.)
Misunderstanding: "Banks should respond immediately"
Reality: Most financial institutions take 4-8 weeks to process estate account closures, some take 10-12 weeks.
Why:
Heavy volume, limited staff
Multiple departments and approval layers
Conservative, risk-averse culture
Legacy systems and manual processes
This is industry-wide, not specific to any one institution.
Misunderstanding: "If I don't hear from Sunset, nothing is happening"
Reality: Most of the time, "nothing visible to you" means "Sunset is following up with institutions who are slowly processing."
What's actually happening:
Regular follow-up calls and emails to institutions
Tracking status in institutional systems
Escalating when appropriate
Waiting for responses from institutions
We provide updates at key milestones:
Documents submitted
Significant status changes
Issues arise requiring your attention
Funds released
Between those milestones, we're actively managing but may not email daily updates.
You can always ask for a status update anytime.
Misunderstanding: "Sunset should be able to make institutions move faster"
Reality: We have no authority over financial institutions. We cannot force them to process faster than their standard timelines.
What we can do:
Follow up regularly to keep your case moving
Escalate to supervisors when delays are excessive
Leverage industry contacts when helpful
Apply appropriate pressure through proper channels
What we cannot do:
Force institutions to violate their procedures
Skip required approval steps
Override institutional timelines
Penalize institutions for being slow (frustrating, but true)
Misunderstanding: "Life insurance should pay out immediately"
Reality: Life insurance claims typically take 3-8 weeks, sometimes longer.
Why:
Death investigation period (especially for new policies)
Document verification
Beneficiary confirmation
Carrier-specific processing timelines
Some carriers are notoriously slow
Fastest possible: 2 weeks (rare, only for straightforward claims with fast carriers) Most common: 4-6 weeks Slow carriers: 8-12 weeks
How to Know If a Delay Is Normal or Problematic
Normal delays (don't worry):
Verification takes 3 business days
No account discovery results for first 3-4 days
Life insurance results take 5-7 days to appear
Bank hasn't responded 2 weeks after submission
Investment firm processing for 4-5 weeks
Probate court hearing scheduled 6 weeks out
Institution requests additional documentation (annoying but normal)
Potentially problematic delays (follow up):
Sunset hasn't responded to your email in 3+ business days
Documents submitted but no confirmation of receipt after 1 week
Institution hasn't acknowledged receipt 3 weeks after submission
Processing exceeds timeline Sunset provided by 4+ weeks
Same institution has "lost" documents multiple times
No status updates on closure for 6+ weeks
You're approaching a deadline and things aren't moving
When to escalate:
Escalate with Sunset if:
You haven't heard from us when you expected to
Timeline concerns about approaching deadlines
You need status update and haven't received one
You're confused about what's happening
We'll escalate with institutions when:
Processing exceeds normal timelines significantly
Institution is non-responsive despite multiple contacts
Documents have been "lost" repeatedly
Your deadline requires faster processing
Institution is providing inconsistent information
Managing Your Expectations and Reducing Frustration
Understand the process is slow: Accept from the start that estate settlement takes months, not weeks. This mindset reduces frustration when individual steps take longer than hoped.
Focus on what you can control:
Respond quickly to Sunset's requests
Provide complete, accurate information
Upload clear documents
Sign forms promptly
Communicate about deadlines early
Don't focus on what you can't control:
Institution processing speed
Court calendar
How fast other departments work
Industry-wide timelines
Trust the process: Thousands of estates settle successfully despite these delays. The system works, it's just slow.
Communicate with Sunset:
Ask for status updates when you want them
Share concerns about timeline
Tell us about deadlines
Ask questions when confused
We're here to help manage the process and your expectations.
Set expectations with heirs: If you're the executor managing an estate with other heirs expecting distributions, set realistic timelines:
"This will take 6-9 months" (not "a few weeks")
"Banks are slow to respond, this is normal"
"I'll update you when major milestones happen"
Reduces pressure on you and reduces anxious calls from siblings.
Urgent Deadlines and How to Handle Them
If you have a court deadline, estate closing date, or other time pressure:
Tell Sunset immediately:
Email with "URGENT - DEADLINE" in subject line
Specify the exact date and what's required
Explain consequences of missing deadline
What we can do:
Prioritize your case internally
Use expedited procedures where available
Escalate more aggressively with institutions
Explore alternative approaches
Provide documentation of efforts (if deadline is court-related)
What's possible:
Some institutions offer expedited processing (sometimes for a fee)
Supervisor intervention can speed things up
Court extensions may be available if documented efforts show good faith
Alternative approaches might bypass slow institutions
What's not possible:
Cannot force institutions to process in days if they normally take weeks
Cannot make courts schedule hearings faster than their calendar allows
Cannot override mandatory waiting periods (creditor claims, etc.)
Best approach: Identify deadlines early and give us as much advance notice as possible. Last-minute urgent requests have limited options.
Tracking Your Own Timeline
Consider keeping a simple log:
What to track:
Date each major action happened
When documents were submitted to institutions
When Sunset provided updates
When you provided information or signatures
Institutions' estimated timelines
Why this helps:
Provides clear picture of where things stand
Identifies if delays are on your end or external
Gives you concrete information when asking for updates
Reduces anxiety by documenting progress
Example log:
Oct 15: Completed onboarding with Sunset
Oct 18: Verification complete, search started
Oct 22: First results appeared (Chase bank account)
Oct 25: All results received
Oct 28: Requested closure on Chase account
Nov 1: Received documents from Sunset for signature
Nov 2: Signed and returned documents
Nov 5: Sunset confirmed submission to Chase
Nov 12: Sunset followed up with Chase - processing
Nov 20: Sunset followed up again - still processing
Nov 27: Chase approved distribution
Dec 2: Funds received in estate account
This shows a 7-week process from start to finish for one account - typical timeline.
Check Your Email (Including Spam) Regularly
Many "delays" are actually missed communications:
Best practices:
Check email daily while estate is active
Check spam folder daily (emails sometimes misrouted)
Add [email protected] to contacts (reduces spam filtering)
Respond to Sunset emails promptly
Don't let Sunset emails sit unread for days
If you're not receiving expected updates: Check spam folder first before assuming Sunset hasn't communicated.
Final Perspective on Delays
Estate settlement is inherently slow. This isn't specific to Sunset, it's the nature of the process:
You're dealing with:
Legal procedures that can't be rushed
Large institutions with bureaucracy
Multiple parties who must all complete their parts
Required waiting periods
Conservative, risk-averse institutional culture
What Sunset provides:
Expert guidance through the process
Coordination of all the moving parts
Persistent follow-up with institutions
Clear communication about status
Realistic timeline expectations
Support throughout the journey
What we can't change:
How slowly financial institutions process
How backed up probate courts are
Mandatory waiting periods
Industry-wide timelines
The good news: Despite delays, estates do settle successfully. Accounts do close. Funds do transfer. Heirs do receive distributions. It just takes time.
Understanding this from the start reduces frustration and anxiety throughout the process.
Need a Status Update?
If you're wondering where things stand, want to know why something is taking longer than expected, need to communicate about a deadline, or have concerns about delays:
Email [email protected] with:
The deceased's name
What you're waiting for specifically
When the last update was
Any deadlines or concerns
We'll provide a complete status update on:
Where each account closure stands
What institutions have said
What we're doing to keep things moving
Realistic timeline for completion
Any issues that have arisen
You should never be left wondering what's happening. If you are, ask us - we're here to provide clarity and manage expectations throughout this slow but ultimately successful process.