What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Wa so my brother died a few years ago and i heard from his lawyer that the estate was ready to be closed. i sent in original signatures for the things we needed signed. he took those signatures to the court. i asked him what the procedure was and what exactly we are waiting for and he didnt say much, just waiting for the court to act. does anyone know how long this takes, or is there no real answer to that? its been about three weeks. the lawyer already has the amount to the penny that he owes me. but other than "a few weeks" and "soon" , he doesnt know any more than that.