My Dad was so meticulous about handling his affairs that there was no question whatsoever about who got what and how much. Everyone waited patiently for his final bills to be settled (it was more like waiting for the shock to wear off since we lost Mom and Dad within 6 months of each other). The entire process took about a year. My brother was a great executor.
You are correct, though. I’ve seen families go at each other and executors shirk their duties by taking years to settle things.
Where there’s a will, there’s a relative.