Guide · US edition · Updated 2026-10-29

Executor Checklist: What an Executor Does, Step by Step

Being named executor is an honor and, frankly, a lot of admin. Most executors are not lawyers. They are adult children, spouses or close friends doing this for the first time, while grieving.

This checklist walks through the typical order of an executor's job in the United States. Every state has its own probate rules, so treat this as a map, not a rulebook. When in doubt, a one-hour consultation with a local estate attorney is money well spent.

First, a few terms

Executor (or personal representative): the person named in the will to settle the estate.
Administrator: the person appointed by the court when there is no will.
Probate: the court process that confirms the will and gives the executor legal authority.
Letters Testamentary (or Letters of Administration): the court document that proves you are allowed to act for the estate. Banks will ask for it.

Until you are appointed, you generally cannot access the person's accounts or sign on behalf of the estate, even if the will names you.

Phase 1: The first two weeks

1. Find the original will. Check their files, safe, desk, or ask their attorney. Banks and courts usually need the original, not a copy. If there is a trust, find that too, because assets in a living trust usually do not go through probate.

2. Order certified death certificates. Most estates need 10 to 15. (More in our guide: how many death certificates you need.)

3. Secure property. Lock the home, keep homeowner's insurance and utilities on, take in the mail, secure vehicles, valuables and documents. Do not give away belongings yet, even if family members ask.

4. Forward the mail. Mail is how you discover accounts, bills, policies and subscriptions nobody knew about. Ask at the local post office how executors can arrange mail forwarding.

5. Start an estate notebook or spreadsheet. Every call, every receipt, every document. You may need to account for every dollar to the court and the beneficiaries.

6. Do not pay their debts from your own money. Debts are paid from the estate, in an order set by state law. Read whether family has to pay a deceased person's debts.

Phase 2: Getting appointed

7. File the will with the probate court in the county where they lived, and apply to be appointed. Some states have a simplified procedure or a "small estate affidavit" for estates below a certain value, which can avoid full probate. Ask the court clerk; they cannot give legal advice but can explain the forms.

8. Receive your Letters Testamentary. Order several certified copies; banks and brokerages will each want one.

9. Get an estate EIN. The estate is a separate taxpayer and needs its own Employer Identification Number. It is free from the IRS. Never pay a website for it. See how to get an estate EIN for free.

10. Open an estate bank account. Use the EIN and Letters Testamentary. From now on, estate money comes in and goes out through this account only. Never mix it with your own money.

Phase 3: Inventory and notifications

11. Make an inventory of assets. Bank accounts, investments, retirement accounts, real estate, vehicles, valuables, money owed to them. Note which assets have a named beneficiary (life insurance, many retirement accounts, payable-on-death accounts) or are jointly owned, because these usually pass outside the will.

12. List all debts and bills. Mortgage, credit cards, medical bills, loans, utilities, subscriptions.

13. Notify the organizations that need to know. Social Security (if the funeral home did not already), banks, credit card issuers, the three credit bureaus, insurers, pension providers, the employer, the DMV and others. Send written notice and keep copies. Our guide to closing a deceased person's accounts covers the order to do this in.

14. Notify creditors. Many states require the executor to notify known creditors and publish a notice in a local newspaper, which starts a deadline for claims. The probate court or an attorney can tell you your state's rules.

15. File claims. Life insurance, employer benefits, pensions, veterans' benefits, and Social Security survivor benefits for eligible family members.

Phase 4: Paying, filing, distributing

16. Keep the estate running. Pay the mortgage, insurance and utilities from the estate account so assets keep their value.

17. Pay valid debts and expenses from the estate account, in the priority order your state requires. Funeral costs and administration expenses usually come first. If the estate does not have enough to pay everyone, speak with an attorney before paying anyone.

18. File the final tax returns. That usually means the person's final individual income tax return (Form 1040) for the year they died and, if the estate earns $600 or more in gross income during administration, an estate income tax return (Form 1041). Very large estates may also owe federal or state estate tax. A tax professional is strongly recommended here.

19. Prepare an accounting. A clear record of everything that came in and went out. Beneficiaries, and in many states the court, are entitled to see it.

20. Distribute what is left according to the will (or state law if there is no will), get signed receipts from beneficiaries, and ask the court to close the estate.

How long does it take?

A simple estate might take six to nine months. Estates with real estate in several states, disputes, a business or tax issues can take well over a year. Creditor claim periods alone often last several months.

Can executors be paid?

In most states, yes. Executors are generally entitled to reasonable compensation and reimbursement of expenses from the estate. Rules and amounts differ by state. Keep receipts for everything, including mileage, postage and certified copies.

When to call an attorney

Consider professional help if there is no will, the estate is insolvent, there is real estate in more than one state, family members disagree, there is a business, or there may be estate tax due.

Make it manageable

You do not have to hold all of this in your head. The After-Loss Admin Kit turns this checklist into a printable 23-page executor workbook with an asset, debt and subscription inventory, a call log, questions for the estate attorney, 12 letter templates and an estate tracker spreadsheet with a progress dashboard.

Just starting? Get the free First 48 Hours Checklist.

This article is general information for the United States, not legal, tax or financial advice. Probate rules vary by state; consult a licensed estate attorney for your situation.

Free: the First 48 Hours Checklist

The few things that are truly urgent after a death, on one printable page.

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