Tools for Estate Executors

For the person settling the estate: what probate costs and how long it takes in your state, getting appointed, filing at the county court without an attorney, creditor deadlines, executor pay, and an estate that cannot pay its debts.

All Planning ahead Settling an estate

17 tools

How Much Does Probate Cost?

Estimate attorney fees, executor fees, court costs, and timeline for probating an estate.

Calculate Costs

How Much Can an Executor Charge?

Calculate how much an executor can charge for administering an estate.

Calculate the Fee

Do I Need Probate?

Find out if an estate needs probate or qualifies for simplified procedures.

Get the Answer

What Are the Estate Laws in My State?

See probate costs, will requirements, trust rules, and intestacy laws for your state.

Check the Rules

What Are the Burial and Cremation Laws in My State?

See who controls final arrangements, cremation and burial rules, and what your state allows.

Check the Rules

How Do I Sign Estate Documents?

Find witness, notary, and remote signing requirements for all 50 states.

Check the Rules

Will My Estate Documents Transfer?

Check if estate planning documents signed in one state are valid in another.

Get the Answer

Can I Self-File Probate?

Whether your state lets you open probate yourself, and what it costs with a lawyer and without one.

Get the Answer

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 the Rules

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 Rules

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.

Check the Rules

What Happens to Jointly Owned Property When an Owner Dies?

See what your state records when a joint tenant with right of survivorship dies: an affidavit, the death certificate or a new deed.

Check the 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 the Steps

What Social Security Survivor Benefits Can I Get?

Which Social Security survivor benefit a spouse, former spouse, child or parent can get, what share it pays, and the lump-sum death payment.

Check the Rules

Do I Have to File Tax Returns for Someone Who Died?

Find out which tax returns need to be filed after someone dies and whether tax clearance is required.

Get the Answer

What Is the Estate's Personal Property Worth for Probate?

Estimate the fair market value of household items for probate and see how it affects fees.

Estimate the Value

The Executor Appointment Guide covers how a named executor or an administrator is appointed in your state, which court handles it, what the petition includes, and what the court issues once you are appointed.

The Probate Cost Calculator estimates court and filing fees, bond, executor fees, and attorney fees for an estate of a given size in your state. The Executor Fee Calculator applies your state's statutory schedule or reasonable compensation standard to the same estate.

The Self-File Probate Assessment checks the estate against the situations where courts allow a self-represented executor, and its county pages name the probate court and its filing details.

The Creditor Claims Deadlines tool shows the notice requirements, the claim window, and the bar date for your state. The Insolvent Estate Calculator walks the state's priority order when the estate cannot pay every claim.

The Post-Death Tax Filing Guide lists the final individual return, the estate income tax return, and any federal or state estate tax return that applies, with the filing thresholds and due dates for your state.

Tools for Estate Executors

The executor of an estate is the person a will names to carry out its terms; without a will, the probate court appoints an administrator to the same role. The court issues letters testamentary or letters of administration, and those letters are what banks and title companies accept as the executor's authority. From there the executor gathers and values the assets, notifies creditors, pays debts and taxes, files the estate's returns, accounts to the court and beneficiaries, and distributes what remains. The executor is paid from the estate at a rate set by state law.

The tools follow that order. The Executor Appointment Guide and Self-File Probate Assessment cover getting appointed and whether you can file without an attorney. The Creditor Claims, Insolvent Estate, Personal Property Value, Estate Account, and Post-Death Tax Filing tools cover the administration. The Probate Cost and Executor Fee calculators put state-specific numbers on the whole process, and the Estate Settlement Plan turns it into a step by step plan for your county.