The What to Do When Someone Dies Checklist lays out the first steps in order for your state, split by whether the person left a will, a trust, or no documents. The Death Certificate Calculator estimates how many certified copies the accounts, policies, and agencies involved will ask for.
The Probate Decision Tool checks the estate against your state's small estate threshold and the ways assets pass outside probate, such as joint ownership, beneficiary designations, and trusts, and shows whether a court process is required.
The Burial and Cremation Law Guide covers who has the legal right to decide, the waiting periods and authorizations for cremation, and the rules for home burial and scattering in each state.
The Estate Account Opening Guide covers what the estate needs before a bank opens the account, including the employer identification number and the court appointment document, and lists what each bank publishes about its own process.
The Inherited IRA Withdrawal Rules tool shows the federal withdrawal timeline by account type and beneficiary relationship. The Inheritance Tax Guide covers which taxes apply to what you receive and when distributions typically arrive.