Free tool

You’re the executor. Here’s the whole job.

Settling an estate takes months, not days, and almost none of it is urgent past the first week. Here is every step in the order it actually happens. Check things off as you go — each one links to the tool that does it.

Your progress saves in your browser so you can close this and come back. Nothing you check is sent anywhere or tied to your name. General information, not legal advice; some steps vary by state.

0 of 18 done

The first week or two

Protect what exists and get the one document everything else needs. Do not distribute or sell anything yet.

The funeral home usually orders the first batch. Almost every institution wants an original, not a copy.
The original will, any trust, deeds, insurance policies, and account statements. Not sure what a document is?Identify a document →
Lock up the property, forward the mail, and keep anything of value safe. Nothing leaves yet — not even to family.
Benefits stop at death; some are owed to survivors. Work through everyone who needs to know.Who to notify tracker →
By law that bureau tells the other two. This is what blocks identity theft in the person’s name — the step people skip.Who to notify tracker →

The first month or two

Get your legal authority, separate the money, and see the whole picture.

It depends on how things were owned, not just their value. This decides most of what comes next.Do I need probate? →
The court issues letters (letters testamentary) that prove you have authority to act. Banks will ask for them.
Every dollar of the estate goes through it. Never mix estate money with your own — that is the mistake that gets executors sued.
You will need a full list for the court and the beneficiaries. Build it once and reuse it.Estate inventory tool →
Each institution needs a letter and a death certificate to freeze, close, or pay out an account.Settlement letters (Premium) →
These pay the named beneficiary directly, outside probate. Check work, private, and any bank or union policies.

The working months

Keep the estate running, pay what it truly owes, and settle the taxes. This stretch is usually several months to a year.

Confirm each debt is real and actually owed before paying. If the estate runs out, most unsecured debts go unpaid.Who owes this debt? →
Mortgage, property and auto insurance, and utilities on any property the estate is keeping. A lapsed policy is a disaster if something happens.
A final personal return covers the year of death. Most estates owe no federal estate tax, but check the threshold.Estate tax calculator →
Every payment out, every dollar in. You will account for all of it to the beneficiaries and the court.

Before you close the estate

Account for everything, hand out what is left, and shut it down properly.

A clear record of what came in, what went out, and what remains. Many states require the court or the heirs to approve it.
Only after debts and taxes are settled. Get a signed receipt from each beneficiary for what they receive.
The court formally closes the estate and releases you as executor. Keep copies of everything for several years.

Personalized to your state

This is the general order. The Executor Kit turns it into your playbook — the right court for your state, the local deadlines, the small-estate shortcut if your estate qualifies, and the documents you specifically need to file.

Open the Executor Kit →