How Long Does Colorado's Small Estate Affidavit Take?
Colorado requires a 10-day waiting period after death before Small Estate Affidavit can be filed. After that, most families complete the process in a few more weeks — far faster than full probate, which commonly takes well over a year. This is informational only and is not legal advice.
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The short answer
Colorado requires a fixed 10-day waiting period after death before Small Estate Affidavit can even be filed — that part never moves, no matter how fast you gather documents. After that, most straightforward estates finish within a few more weeks. What actually stretches the timeline is presenting the approved filing to a bank, DMV, or title company that's never processed one before — see what to say when that happens.
What slows families down
- The decedent's property subject to the will or intestacy is worth more than the limit for the year of death. The limit is set by the year the decedent died ($88,000 for 2026). It tests the fair market value of property owned by the decedent and subject to disposition by will or intestate succession, wherever located, less liens and encumbrances. Property passing outside the estate, such as joint tenancy or a payable-on-death account, is outside that test. Real estate the decedent owned alone is within it.
- Fewer than ten days have passed since the date of death. The holder's duty to pay or deliver starts ten or more days after death, and the affidavit must state that at least ten days have elapsed.
Why the delay matters: a probate attorney typically charges $1,500–$4,200+ to handle this instead, and every week spent re-filing after an avoidable rejection is a week the estate's accounts stay frozen. The next step is the step-by-step filing sequence.
The asset holder is why this takes longer than it should
It's the #1 reason a quick process turns into a multi-week one. Free one-pager: what to bring and say before you present it, so a first visit doesn't turn into a second — emailed now. Then a few short follow-ups over the next few weeks — then we stop.