Estate Settlement Cost
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Private browser-only checklist

Executor checklist: protect, account, then distribute.

A seven-phase working list for organizing the process without inventing a universal legal timeline.

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First 72 hours

Protect people, property, and records

Handle immediate needs without making irreversible estate decisions.

Do not assume a will alone gives authority to act for the estate.

First two weeks

Identify the person with legal authority

Determine whether a court appointment, affidavit, or another transfer process is needed.

A nomination in a will is not the same as a court appointment.

Weeks 1–6

Build the asset and debt inventory

Separate probate property from assets with their own transfer mechanism.

Beneficiary designations and title often control even when a will says something else.

After authority is established

File and notify

Use the route-specific form and complete required notices.

Publication and notice requirements can differ by county and route.

During administration

Manage property and claims

Preserve value, document decisions, and resolve valid obligations in priority order.

Paying lower-priority claims too early can create personal liability.

Before final distribution

Complete tax and accounting work

Reconcile the estate ledger and determine which returns are required.

Estate, inheritance, income, and property tax are separate questions.

After claims and tax reserves are resolved

Distribute and close

Document final transfers and satisfy the route’s closing requirements.

Closing an account is not the same as legally closing the estate.

Checklist progress is stored only in this browser. It is not a court calendar and does not include every state, county, tax, or case-specific deadline.

When a checklist item turns on a jurisdiction-specific rule, open the state comparison to find the reviewed route and the source ledger to confirm the quoted court or statutory record before you file or transfer anything.

Open the guide when a checklist item branches

Bank-account access

Distinguish direct transfer from estate authority and prepare the institution record.

Forms and filing

Find the official route-specific artifact and track submission, rejection, and follow-up.

Do you need probate?

Test each asset’s transfer path and identify which institution actually needs court authority.

Vehicle transfer

Work from the title record, lien, and DMV lane before selling or donating.

Estate EIN

Confirm the estate needs its own tax identity and use the free IRS application.