Bottom line: While a trust may not be appropriate in every situation, delaying inheritances as opposed to issuing an outright distribution often enhances the inheritance through additional protections and helps ensure that the legacy you worked hard to build can be passed to the next generation.
Unfortunately, every estate is different, and that means timelines can vary. A simple estate with just a few, easy-to-find assets may be all wrapped up in six to eight months. A more complicated affair may take three years or more to fully settle.
Executors can withhold monies from beneficiaries, though not arbitrarily. Beneficiaries may be unable or unwilling to receive a gift by a will. The executor's job is onerous and the time taken to execute a will may vary greatly.
A grant of probate allows executors of a will to go about the administration of the estate lawfully. If there is no will, then the estate can be distributed by an administrator under Letters of Administration.