Closing an Estate in Virginia In order for the Commissioner of Accounts to allow an estate to be closed, the personal representative must produce a Final Account of the estate. The Final Account must show: All assets have been distributed to the beneficiaries and the balance of the account is zero.
Surrogate's Court Procedure Act § 707 states that a nominated executor is ineligible to serve it if they are: (a) an infant; (b) an incompetent or incapacitated person as determined by the Court; (c) a non-citizen or non-permanent resident of the United States; (d) a felon; and (e) one who does not possess the ...
Whoever is appointed as an executor must take an oath to faithfully perform the duties required and must give bond in an amount at least equal to the value of the estate. If the will does not waive surety, surety must be given on the bond.
A person can expect for the probate process in Virginia to take anywhere from six months up to a year or more. Generally, there is a creditor period, so an estate cannot be completely distributed and closed prior to the expiration of the six-month period.
Personal representatives (i.e., executors and administrators of the estate) are required to provide beneficiaries and other interested parties (i.e., persons or entities with a financial stake in the estate) with financial information about the estate they are overseeing.
Any person who seeks to prove that he has a debt or demand against the decedent or the decedent's estate shall file his claim in writing with the commissioner of accounts, who shall endorse upon it the date of the filing and sign the endorsement in his official character.
Settling an estate can take anywhere from 18 months to 2 years or longer.