What is IAEA and How Does It Speed Up California Probate Sales?
IAEA stands for the Independent Administration of Estates Act, a California law that allows executors to manage and sell estate assets with reduced court supervision. Under full IAEA authority, an executor can sell real property through a 15-day notice process rather than a full court confirmation hearing. After accepting an offer, the executor sends a Notice of Proposed Action to all heirs. If no heir objects in writing within 15 days, escrow closes without a court hearing. This eliminates the overbid risk and can reduce the probate sale timeline by 2-4 months.
Going Deeper
IAEA authority is requested at the initial probate hearing and is generally granted automatically if the will permits independent administration (most California wills do) and no heir objects. Always request full IAEA authority at the initial hearing, it is one of the most valuable procedural tools in a California probate administration. If IAEA authority is not requested or is denied, all major estate transactions require formal court confirmation.
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