Commonly several months to well over a year. The court grant itself may take weeks; the delay usually comes from valuing assets and waiting for a CRA clearance certificate.
The Canadian position
Court processing times vary widely by province and by registry. Beyond the grant, an executor must identify assets, pay debts, file the final return, and generally obtain a clearance certificate before distributing.
The 'executor's year' is the customary period an executor has before beneficiaries can press for distribution.
The Islamic position
Islamic practice favours prompt settlement of debts and distribution, which sits uneasily with a year-long administration. Where heirs need funds sooner, an interim distribution with an adequate holdback is the usual route.
The four Sunni schools are not recorded as differing materially on this point in the sources reviewed. Where your own case turns on it, put it to a scholar of your school.
What to do about it
- Ask the executor for a timeline and an inventory early.
- Expect the clearance certificate to be the long pole.
- Consider an interim distribution if heirs are in genuine need.
General information, not legal or religious advice. Inheritance depends entirely on the exact family circumstances. Confirm the Canadian position with a lawyer in your province and any religious ruling with a qualified scholar.
Citations & sources
Every factual claim on this page traces to one of the references below. Legislation and dollar thresholds change — verify against the primary source before relying on any figure.
- Research Papers — Cambridge Muslim College
- Research — Cambridge Muslim College
- Academics — Islamic law and theology curriculum — Zaytuna College
- Encyclopaedia of Islam — Brill
- Apply for probate of an estate — Government of Ontario
- Estate Administration Tax — Government of Ontario
- Estates Act, RSO 1990, c E.21 — Government of Ontario
- What to do when someone has died — Canada Revenue Agency
- Income Tax Act, RSC 1985, c 1 (5th Supp) — Justice Laws Canada
- Does a will need to be probated in ontario — Treadstone Law
- Small estate certificate vs full probate ontario — Treadstone Law
- Estate trustee distributing during pending claim ontario — Treadstone Law
- Applying for probate online in ontario — Treadstone Law
- Paying estate administration tax no cash ontario — Treadstone Law
- Probate real estate ontario land transfer estate — Treadstone Law
- Wills & estates practice — Treadstone Law