Probate, also known as estate administration, is the court process by which assets of the person who has died are distributed. A Colorado court will appoint a personal representative (also known as an executor) to collect assets, pay debts and taxes, and distribute assets according to the will (or according to the laws of intestacy if you died without a will). The soonest probate can be completed is six months from the date a personal representative is appointed, but it is not uncommon for the process to take longer.