Trust FAQs
Understand what really happens after someone passes away, how probate works in plain English, and the practical steps families can take to streamline the process.
Forms for Settling an Estate
Free forms for settling an estate: the probate petition, small estate affidavit, notice to creditors, inventory, and closing forms.
Free
Petition for Probate and Letters
Open probate and ask the court to appoint you and issue Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
Get Started
Free
Notice to Creditors
Notify estate creditors and start the claim period — the published notice plus mailed copies for known creditors.
Get Started
Free
Renunciation of Executor
Decline an appointment as executor named in a will — the writing filed with the court before anyone is appointed.
Get Started
Free
Affidavit of Heirship
Prepare the sworn statement of a deceased person's family history and heirs for recording in the county land records, with your state's recording instructions.
Get Started
Free
Small Estate Affidavit
Collect a small estate's property without probate — the sworn affidavit presented to banks and other holders, with a presentation letter for each.
Get Started
Free
Estate Inventory
Prepare the probate inventory of estate property — every asset at its date-of-death value, composed to your state's statute, with the state's filing or delivery instructions.
Get Started
Tools for Settling an Estate
Free tools for settling an estate: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines, and inheritance taxes.
How Much Can an Executor Charge?
Calculate how much an executor can charge for administering an estate.
Use Calculator
Can I Self-File Probate?
Whether your state lets you open probate yourself, and what it costs with a lawyer and without one.
Check Now
How Do I Get Letters Testamentary?
See the court that issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration, the petition, the bond, and the documents to file.
See the Steps
What Are the Creditor Claim Deadlines?
Find creditor claim deadlines, notice requirements, and payment priority order for your state.
Check Deadlines
What Happens When an Estate Is Insolvent?
See the order your state pays an insolvent estate's debts and which claims go unpaid.
Check the Payment Order
How Do I Claim a Deceased Person's Unclaimed Property?
See where to search for a deceased person's unclaimed property and what each state asks an heir or executor to send.
Find the Claim Rules
How Do I Open an Estate Account When Someone Dies?
Compare estate-account opening requirements bank by bank: channels, required documents, and steps.
See Bank Requirements
Hire a Probate Attorney
Browse vetted attorneys handling probate matters across all 50 states.
Browse firms
Related Articles
Estate Planning
Start with the building blocks of a solid estate plan—from key legal terms to choosing fiduciaries—so you can protect your loved ones and your assets with confidence.”
SimplyTrust EditorialJuly 23, 2025
Life Stages
Major life events—marriage, a new baby, buying a home—change your estate-planning needs overnight. Follow our step-by-step guides to keep your plan current at every milestone.
SimplyTrust EditorialJuly 23, 2025
Trusts and Wills
Compare trusts, wills, and other transfer tools side-by-side, learn when each document makes sense, and see real-world examples that demystify the legal jargon.
SimplyTrust EditorialJuly 23, 2025