What Do I Do When Someone Dies?

Banks, insurers, government agencies, and title offices each generally require a certified copy, ordered from the funeral home or the state vital records office. The death certificate calculator counts the copies for a specific estate.

No. Assets held in a living trust, joint accounts with survivorship, and accounts with named beneficiaries pass outside probate. Estates under the state's small-estate threshold ($15,000 to $400,000) can use a simplified procedure. Probate applies to assets titled in the person's sole name above that threshold. The probate decision tool answers it for a specific estate.

In the 22 states whose trust code shortens the creditor claims period after the trustee gives the statutory creditor notice, that period runs 3 to 13 months, and a trustee who waits it out distributes after it; elsewhere no statute sets a window for a trust. Probate typically runs 6 to 18 months for an average estate and 9 to 36 months or longer for a complex one; an estate with no documents takes the longer path because the court appoints the administrator and the heirs must be determined. The creditor claim period in each state sets a floor on the timeline; disputes and tax filings extend it.

It depends on the estate and the state. Simple trust administrations are often handled without an attorney. Some states allow a personal representative to file probate without one; others require attorney involvement. The probate self-filing guide covers each state's rule. Contested estates, business interests, and taxable estates generally involve a licensed attorney.