What to Do After a Death in Chesterfield County, Virginia
The first weeks after losing someone involve time-sensitive tasks. Here's what to prioritize and what can wait.
Handling an estate in Chesterfield County, Virginia means working through both immediate tasks (securing property, ordering death certificates, stopping benefits) and the formal probate process at the Circuit Court at 9500 Courthouse Road, 2nd Floor, Chesterfield.
Chesterfield County has local procedures worth knowing before you start: Pre-setting of all cases is strongly encouraged.
1. Order Death Certificates
Find out how many death certificates to order:
2. Estate Settlement Checklist
Track your progress through the probate process:
Once appointed as personal representative, Virginia law requires filing an inventory of estate assets with the Circuit Court within 120 daysVa. Code § 64.2-1300Verified May 1, 2026. The inventory identifies and values everything the deceased owned — real estate, bank accounts, investments, vehicles, personal belongings.
Your first priorities are securing property and stopping automatic payments. Collect mail, lock up valuables, document what's there, and call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 to report the death — this prevents benefit overpayments that the estate would have to repay later.
Contact banks and credit card companies as soon as possible to freeze accounts and prevent unauthorized transactions or recurring charges. Most institutions require a certified death certificate.
When you're ready to start probate, contact the Circuit Court at 804/748-1241 to confirm what documents you need. You can file in person or by mail — families handling probate themselves don't need to use e-filing.
File life insurance claims early. Proceeds pass directly to named beneficiaries outside probate and are often available within weeks, which can help cover immediate estate expenses while probate is underway.
An attorney is most worth the cost when the estate involves contested assets, disputes between beneficiaries, will challenges, business interests, or real estate in multiple states. Straightforward estates can often be handled without one.
Attorney fees in Virginia typically run 2%Va. Code § 64.2-1208 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified May 1, 2026 to 4%Va. Code § 64.2-1208 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified May 1, 2026 of estate value. Flat-fee arrangements are common for straightforward estates without disputes.
Professional help is especially valuable when the estate is large enough to trigger Virginia's estate tax filing thresholds, involves unusual assets, or creates potential liability for the executor.
Legal Sources
- Va. Code § 64.2-1208 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)
- Va. Code § 64.2-1300
Data sourced from Virginia statutes and official state code. How we research.
Frequently Asked Questions
Before anything court-related, handle three things: get the doctor or coroner to sign the death certificate, secure the home and any valuables, and locate the will. Only then does probate planning make sense.
Plan on 8–12 certified copies. Each financial institution, title company, insurer, and the Chesterfield County probate court will ask for an original. Ordering too few is the most common delay families run into. Use the Virginia death certificate calculator for a personalized count.
Virginia does not set a strict filing deadline for opening probate, but delay has costs: the creditor claim period is 12 months, assets stay frozen until probate opens, and some banks refuse to act without letters. Most families file within 30–60 days.
Funeral homes typically report the death to Social Security. Bank and brokerage notifications are on the executor — accounts freeze on notification, so timing matters. The Virginia estate settlement checklist walks through the order.
Yes. A revocable living trust keeps the estate out of Chesterfield County probate entirely — no filing, no hearings, no public record. Families who plan ahead settle in weeks instead of months. Create a revocable trust online before the next generation has to go through what you're handling now.
What to Expect at Court
Here's what you should know about court appearances in this county.
Court Appearances
Criminal and Civil Terms begin the Tuesday following the 3rd Monday in January, then the 3rd Monday in March, May, July, September, and November.
Criminal dockets convene at 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM.
Circuit Court
Chesterfield County
9500 Courthouse Road, 2nd Floor
Chesterfield, VA 23832
Phone:
804/748-1241Fax:
804/796-5625
Hours:
8:00AM - 4:00PM
Paper Filing Available
E-Filing Optional
Notify Banks & Financial Institutions
Each institution has a separate death claim process. Find yours below.
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