Executor Checklist: What to Do After Someone Dies, in the Right Order

Overview

An executor, sometimes called a personal representative, administers a deceased person's probate estate. The appointment may come from a will, but the court usually must recognize the appointment before the executor can exercise the full range of authority. In some cases, a court issues letters testamentary or a similar document confirming that authority.

The work generally follows this order:

1. Secure the person, property, records, and immediate necessities.
2. Obtain the death certificate and locate the will, trust documents, and beneficiary information.
3. Identify the correct court process, including whether a small estate procedure may apply.
4. Inventory and value assets, while separating probate assets from property that may transfer outside probate.
5. Notify required parties, manage bills and claims, and preserve estate funds.
6. File required tax returns and resolve taxes or other liabilities.
7. Distribute assets only after debts, claims, taxes, and court requirements have been addressed.
8. Prepare a final accounting, obtain any required approval, and close the estate.

Do not assume every asset passes through probate. Jointly owned property, payable-on-death accounts, life insurance, retirement accounts, and assets held in a trust may follow their ownership documents or beneficiary designations instead. For a broader timeline and state comparisons, see Probate Timelines & Costs by State.

What to track

First 24 to 72 hours: protect people and property

• Confirm that immediate family, the nominated executor, and other appropriate contacts know about the death.
• Secure the home, vehicle, business premises, mail, animals, valuables, and important papers.
• Arrange care for dependents and pets, and address urgent property risks such as leaks, freezing conditions, or an unsecured building.
• Avoid removing or distributing property unless necessary to protect it. Photograph rooms and valuable items before moving anything.
• Ask the funeral home or another authorized person about obtaining certified death certificates. The number needed depends on the estate and the institutions that must be notified.

Keep a written log from the beginning. Record the date, person or organization contacted, method of contact, documents sent, response, and next action. This simple record helps prevent missed follow-ups and supports the executor's account of how estate money was handled.

Days 3 to 14: collect authority and documents

• Find the original will, codicils, trust documents, deeds, titles, account statements, insurance policies, business records, tax returns, and digital-asset instructions.
• Confirm where the deceased lived and which court likely has jurisdiction. Property in another state may require a separate proceeding or additional filing.
• Ask the probate court or a probate lawyer which petition, notice, bond, oath, and inventory forms apply.
• Notify institutions that may need to suspend, transfer, or review accounts, such as banks, insurers, lenders, utilities, employers, and benefit administrators.
• Redirect mail and preserve financial statements. Do not cancel services that protect the property until you understand the consequences.

If there is no will, the estate may be distributed under intestate succession law rather than personal instructions. Read What Happens If Someone Dies Without a Will? for the general process and the importance of identifying potential heirs.

Weeks 2 to 8: open the estate and build the inventory

File the probate petition or the appropriate simplified procedure when you have enough information to do so. Some estates may qualify for a small estate affidavit, but eligibility, limits, waiting periods, and required documents are state-specific. Check the applicable court instructions before relying on a simplified route; the Small Estate Affidavit by State guide can help identify the questions to ask.

Once appointed, create an asset inventory with the following fields:

• Asset description, owner, location, account or policy number, and estimated value.
• Whether the asset is likely a probate asset or transfers by joint ownership, beneficiary designation, trust, or another mechanism.
• Outstanding loan, lien, tax, maintenance, or insurance information.
• Documents supporting the value and the date on which the value was determined.

Include real estate, vehicles, bank and investment accounts, business interests, personal property, refunds, royalties, online accounts, and debts owed to the deceased. For digital accounts, preserve access information without guessing passwords or violating account terms. See How to Find and Protect Digital Assets in an Estate.

During the claims and administration period

Use an estate bank account when possible rather than mixing estate funds with personal money. Pay appropriate administration expenses and necessary property costs from estate funds, retain receipts, and do not treat the account as your own. Notify creditors in the manner required by the jurisdiction, review claims carefully, and do not pay disputed or questionable bills simply to end a conversation.

Track tax work separately. The estate may require a final income tax return for the deceased, an income tax return for the estate, an estate tax return, an inheritance tax filing, or none of these, depending on the facts and applicable law. Filing triggers and thresholds change, so confirm requirements with a qualified tax professional or probate lawyer. The Inheritance Tax and Estate Tax Deadlines guide provides a starting point for state-specific questions.

Before distribution and closing

Prepare a proposed distribution only after you have identified assets, resolved or reserved for valid debts and taxes, and checked the will's instructions. Confirm beneficiary names, percentages, specific gifts, and any conditions. Communicate in writing about expected timing without promising a date the court or tax process may change. Beneficiaries may have rights to information or may be able to object to delays; see Beneficiary Rights After Someone Dies.

Before closing, reconcile every estate account, retain receipts and releases, document distributions, complete required court reports, and ask whether the court requires a petition or order closing the estate.

Simple contact log template

Copy this structure into a spreadsheet or notebook:

Cadence and checkpoints

Review the estate file at least weekly during the first two months, then at least monthly while claims, tax work, or court review remains open. A useful checkpoint table is:

How to interpret changes

Estate administration rarely moves in a perfectly straight line. A new account statement may reveal another asset; a creditor may submit a claim; a beneficiary may question a valuation; or a court may request a corrected form. Treat each change as a reason to update three things: the inventory, the cash forecast, and the task calendar.

A delay is especially important when it affects a filing deadline, creditor notice period, property insurance, a tax payment, or an agreement to sell an asset. Do not distribute the amount in dispute merely because other assets appear ready. Instead, document the issue, preserve a reasonable reserve, and obtain legal advice when the will is unclear, heirs disagree, a business is involved, assets are missing, or someone may challenge the will.

Executor duties can create personal risk if property is wasted, funds are mixed, required notices are skipped, or distributions occur before obligations are addressed. A probate lawyer is particularly useful when the estate is insolvent, contested, multistate, tax-sensitive, or difficult to value.

When to revisit

Return to this checklist whenever a milestone is completed and whenever new information appears. At minimum, revisit it weekly during the initial collection and filing period, monthly during ongoing administration, and before every payment or distribution. Recheck official court instructions immediately before filing because forms, fees, notice methods, and local procedures can change.

Use this final action list:

1. Mark today's date and the estate's current stage: securing, opening, inventory, claims, taxes, distribution, or closing.
2. Update the asset inventory, creditor list, cash ledger, and contact log.
3. Circle the next external deadline and place a reminder before it, not on it.
4. Confirm which documents still need certified copies, signatures, filing, service, or secure storage.
5. Pause before distributing property if a debt, tax issue, heirship question, or will dispute remains unresolved.
6. Seek state-specific legal or tax advice when the facts exceed a straightforward estate.

This article offers general information, not legal or tax advice. The correct executor duties and probate process depend on the deceased person's state, property, documents, family circumstances, and court requirements.