Alaska Resources for Executors
The Last Frontier
Alaska probate courts, executor forms, probate cost and executor fee calculators, and the agencies and banks to notify after a death.
Settle an estate in Alaska, step by step
A Alaska settlement plan lists each task in order, from the death certificate to the final distribution, with the Alaska deadlines and forms attached to each step.
Start the Alaskasettlement plan →Alaska Probate and Settlement Rules
If you die without a will in Alaska, your heirs must survive you by at least 120 hoursAS § 13.12.104Verified Sep 10, 2026View source to inherit anything. This "survival period" exists to prevent property from passing through multiple estates in quick succession when family members die close together in time, such as in an accident. The amount a surviving spouse inherits without a will depends on whether your parents are still alive. If they are, your spouse may have to share the estate with them—a result that surprises many people and underscores why having a will matters. Alaska uses "per capita at each generation" distribution when dividing assets among descendants. This modern approach ensures that grandchildren whose parent predeceased you share equally with other grandchildren, rather than splitting only their parent's portion.
Estates valued under $150,000AS 13.16.690Verified Sep 8, 2026View source may avoid formal probate entirely through a simplified affidavit procedure. This threshold is relatively generous compared to other states, potentially saving families significant time and legal fees.
Alaska does not impose a state estate tax or inheritance tax, which means estates are only subject to the federal estate tax (currently exempting the first $15,000,00026 USC 2001(c), 2010; P.L. 119-21 §70106Verified Sep 15, 2026View source per person, or $30,000,00026 USC 2001(c), 2010; P.L. 119-21 §70106Verified Sep 15, 2026View source for married couples using portability). This is a meaningful advantage over the states that layer their own death taxes on top of the federal system.
Alaska provides a statutory homestead exemption protecting up to $27,000 in home equity from creditors. While not as strong as the constitutional protections in states like Texas or Florida, this still provides meaningful protection for the family home. Executors must publish a notice to creditors, who then have 4 monthsAS 13.16.460Verified Sep 8, 2026View source to file claims against the estate. Known creditors must also receive direct written notice.
Legal Sources
Data sourced from Alaska statutes and official state code. How we research.
Find Your Court Location
An estate is opened in the probate court for the court location where the person lived. Click a borough or census area in Alaska to see the court locations inside it, then open one for that court’s contact information, filing procedures, fees, and what to do when someone dies there.
All 30 Alaska court locations
Alaska Estate Settlement Forms
Probate petition, notice to creditors, inventory, closing. Free for Alaska.
EIN Application
Get the tax ID number (EIN) banks require to open an estate account or trust account after someone dies.
Petition for Probate and Letters
Open probate and ask the court to appoint you and issue Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
Notice to Creditors
Notify estate creditors and start the claim period — the published notice plus mailed copies for known creditors.
Renunciation of Executor
Decline an appointment as executor named in a will — the writing filed with the court before anyone is appointed.
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.
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.
Estate Inventory
Prepare the probate inventory of estate property — every asset at its date-of-death value, with your state's filing or delivery instructions.
Estate Closing
Prepare the paperwork that closes the estate — the state's closing instrument with its closing instructions, and the optional federal forms.
Letter of Instruction
Prepare the letter a bank or insurer requests during estate settlement, addressed to its claims department.
Digital Assets Recovery Letter
Prepare a letter requesting a deceased person's online accounts, points, and balances from the program that holds them.
Alaska Tools & Calculators
Probate cost, executor fees, creditor deadlines and more for Alaska.
Alaska Probate Attorneys
Find probate and estate administration attorneys by practice area in Alaska.
Government Agencies to Notify in Alaska
State-administered programs an executor handles after a death in Alaska.
Banks and Financial Institutions in Alaska
Banks, brokerages, and credit unions serving Alaska, each with its own death claim process.
Is this your situation?
Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
Death of a Parent
A step-by-step guide to what happens after a parent dies: the documents to find, the certificates to order, and whether probate is even required.
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Loss of a Spouse
What a surviving spouse needs to do: death certificates, survivor benefits, whether probate is even required, and the tax election that expires.
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Named as Executor
What an executor actually does: getting appointed, notifying creditors, paying debts and taxes, and where personal liability starts.
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Named as Trustee
Being named trustee means managing trust assets and carrying out the grantor's wishes. Your duties, timeline, compensation, and how to get started.
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