The first thirty days after a loss are the most administratively demanding period an executor will face. Decisions made now — or not made now — will shape the next twelve months of the estate. This checklist is designed to help you move through those first thirty days without missing anything critical, and without making the common mistakes that turn a difficult process into a costly one.
You are not expected to complete every item on this list personally, and some items require professional help. What follows is a roadmap of what needs to happen — you can delegate, hire, or defer as appropriate.
Immediately (Days 1–3)
Certified death certificates. Order at least 10 certified copies from the funeral home or vital records office. You will need one for nearly every institution the deceased did business with — banks, insurers, retirement plans, the DMV, the county assessor. Uncertified photocopies are almost never accepted.
Locate the will. Check the deceased's home safe, filing cabinet, safe deposit box, attorney's office, and the local probate court. Do not open a safe deposit box on your own — banks typically require a court order or a probate-appointed representative.
Secure the home. Change locks if keys are unaccounted for. Remove valuables — jewelry, cash, small heirlooms, firearms — to a locked location. Take date-stamped photographs of every room before removing anything. This protects you from later disputes about what was there.
Care for dependents. Pets, minor children, or elderly family members who lived with the deceased need immediate care arrangements. Do not assume relatives will step in — confirm.
Notify immediate family only. Wider notification can wait a few days. In the first 72 hours, focus on the household.
What NOT to do: Do not distribute personal items — even sentimental ones — to family members. Everything the deceased owned is now part of the estate until formally distributed by the executor. Well-meaning early transfers create serious legal and tax problems later.
Week 1 (Days 4–7)
Notify Social Security. The funeral home usually reports the death to SSA, but confirm in writing. Any Social Security payment received for the month of death may need to be returned.
Notify the Department of Veterans Affairs if the deceased was a veteran. Survivor benefits, burial allowances, and grave marker eligibility depend on prompt notification.
Contact the deceased's employer if they were still working. Ask about: final paycheck, unused vacation payout, employer life insurance, 401(k) or pension beneficiary information, and continuing health coverage for dependents (COBRA).
Contact all known life insurance companies. Bring a certified death certificate and the policy number. Benefits go directly to named beneficiaries — they typically do not pass through the estate.
Start a rough asset inventory. Include bank accounts, retirement accounts, brokerage accounts, real estate, vehicles, life insurance policies, and any business interests.
Locate financial records. Look for: the past two years of tax returns, most recent bank and brokerage statements, mortgage documents, safe deposit box records, and any digital-asset inventory.
Consult a probate attorney if the estate is likely to exceed your state's probate threshold or involves real estate, business interests, or multiple beneficiaries.
What NOT to do: Do not pay any of the deceased's bills from your personal funds. Every payment must come from the estate's own bank account (which you'll open in Week 2).
Weeks 2–4 (Days 8–30)
File the will with the probate court. Filing deadlines vary by state — commonly 10 to 30 days after death. Missing this deadline can create legal complications and, in some states, remove your right to serve as executor.
Petition for probate. This is the formal legal process that appoints you executor and gives you legal authority to act on the estate's behalf. The court will issue Letters Testamentary — a document you'll present dozens of times over the next year.
Get an EIN for the estate. The estate is a separate legal and tax entity. Apply online via the IRS website (Form SS-4). It's free, takes 15 minutes, and you receive the EIN immediately.
Open an estate bank account. Use the EIN — not the deceased's Social Security number, and never your personal account. All estate income and expenses flow through this account.
Notify banks and financial institutions. Bring certified death certificates and Letters Testamentary. Accounts titled in the deceased's name alone will be frozen and transferred to the estate. Jointly held accounts pass to the surviving owner automatically.
Redirect mail. File USPS Form 1583 to redirect the deceased's mail to your address. You'll uncover assets, liabilities, and subscriptions you didn't know existed.
Notify credit bureaus. Contact Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion in writing, requesting they flag the account as deceased. This is your primary defense against post-death identity theft.
Begin the creditor notification process. Every state has specific rules — typically a combination of direct notice to known creditors and a published notice in a local newspaper.
Suspend non-essential services. Cable, streaming, gym memberships, and cell phone service can generally be canceled. Utilities at the deceased's residence should be kept active if the property will be sold or occupied.
Do not close credit card accounts yet. Final bills may still arrive. Leave the accounts open until estate accounting is nearly complete.
The Five Most Common First-30-Day Mistakes
1. Distributing personal property early. "Grandma would have wanted me to have this" is not a legal transfer. Everything stays with the estate until the executor formally distributes it under the will and court supervision.
2. Paying bills from personal funds. Even small payments create tracking problems. Wait for the estate account to open, then pay from there.
3. Acting on a power of attorney that no longer exists. The authority granted by a power of attorney ends the moment the person dies. Using a POA to access accounts after death can be prosecuted as fraud.
4. Ignoring the will filing deadline. Missing this deadline can, in some states, disqualify you from serving as executor entirely.
5. Discussing estate matters without documentation. Every conversation about the estate is potentially discoverable if disputes arise later. Establish from Day 1 that estate communications happen in writing, and keep copies.
What to Expect Emotionally
The administrative demands of the first 30 days force you into decision-making mode at exactly the moment you are least equipped for it. Sleep is broken. Grief is fresh. Family members you have not seen in years suddenly have opinions.
Two things help. First, keep a written record of everything — every phone call, every payment, every conversation. You will not remember details three months from now, and you will need them. Second, understand that this is a marathon. The first thirty days are the most intense, but the process continues for six to twenty-four months. Pace yourself.
You are not expected to be perfect. You are expected to be diligent, honest, and organized. This checklist, and the rest of the Executor Success Kit, exists to make that possible.