Executor Checklist First 30 Days

Being named executor puts you in charge of a complex administrative process during the worst month of your life. The challenge isn't that any single task is difficult — it's that there are dozens of them, they have different deadlines, and your brain is running at half capacity from grief. A structured checklist eliminates the need to figure out what comes next. You just work down the list.

Week 1: Immediate Actions

• [ ] Obtain the legal pronouncement of death (hospice nurse, attending physician, or emergency services)
• [ ] Contact a funeral home to arrange body transport
• [ ] Check for pre-paid funeral plans before making arrangements
• [ ] Secure the deceased's home — lock all doors, windows, outbuildings
• [ ] Remove immediate valuables (wallet, keys, jewelry, cash) to a safe location
• [ ] Arrange temporary care for minor children, dependent adults, and pets
• [ ] Designate one family member as the central communication contact
• [ ] Order 10–20 certified copies of the death certificate
• [ ] Notify the deceased's employer for final paycheck and benefits processing

Week 2: Notifications and Security

• [ ] Report the death to Social Security (US: 1-800-772-1213) or equivalent agency (UK: Tell Us Once; Canada: Service Canada; Australia: Centrelink)
• [ ] Notify the VA if the deceased was a veteran (for burial benefits and survivor pension)
• [ ] Freeze the deceased's credit with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion
• [ ] Contact the home insurance company within the first 10 days of vacancy — ask about the policy's vacancy limit and request any needed endorsement or unoccupied-home rider
• [ ] Set up mail forwarding from the deceased's address to yours
• [ ] Notify the mortgage company of the death
• [ ] Cancel or pause non-essential subscriptions and memberships (streaming, gym, magazines, delivery services)
• [ ] Locate the original will, trust documents, and any codicils — check home files, safe deposit boxes, and the deceased's attorney

Week 3: Legal Foundation

• [ ] Consult a probate attorney (even a one-hour session clarifies whether you need full probate, a small estate affidavit, or neither)
• [ ] Deposit or deliver the original will to the court clerk — this is separate from filing a probate petition. The deadline is 10 days in Florida after the custodian learns of the death and 30 days in California after the custodian learns of the death; check your state's rule
• [ ] Apply for Letters Testamentary (if there's a will) or Letters of Administration (if there isn't)
• [ ] Publish the Notice to Creditors in the required newspaper — this starts the statutory claim period (3–6 months in most states)
• [ ] Hold a family meeting to set expectations about the timeline, process, and communication schedule
• [ ] Set up a regular update cadence for beneficiaries — bi-weekly email minimum, even when there's nothing new

Week 4: Financial Structure

• [ ] Apply for an EIN (Employer Identification Number) from the IRS — free, done online at irs.gov
• [ ] Open a dedicated estate checking account using the EIN — never run estate transactions through a personal account
• [ ] Build a comprehensive asset inventory: all bank accounts, investment accounts, retirement accounts, real estate, vehicles, insurance policies, business interests, digital assets
• [ ] Build a liability register: mortgage, auto loans, credit cards, medical bills, tax obligations, any pending judgments or liens
• [ ] Determine estate solvency — do assets exceed liabilities? This determines the entire debt payment strategy
• [ ] Do NOT pay any unsecured debts until the full inventory is complete and solvency is confirmed
• [ ] Do NOT distribute any assets — the creditor claim period must expire first

What to Deliberately Postpone

Some tasks feel urgent but aren't. Doing them too early under grief fog leads to mistakes, family conflict, or personal liability:

• Sorting personal belongings. Wait at least 90 days. There's no legal deadline, and rushed decisions about sentimental items are the leading source of sibling disputes.
• Selling real estate or vehicles. Wait for court authority (Letters Testamentary). Selling estate assets without proper authorization is a probate violation.
• Paying credit card bills and medical debts. These are general unsecured debts — last in the legal priority order. Paying them before secured debts, taxes, and administrative costs exposes the executor to personal liability if the estate is insolvent.
• Making permanent memorial decisions. Headstones, grave markers, and scattering remains can wait six to twelve months. Give yourself time to process before committing to irreversible choices.

After the First 30 Days

The first month establishes the legal and financial framework. Months two through six are about execution: processing creditor claims, filing tax returns, managing property, and eventually distributing assets once the claim period expires and all obligations are settled.

The First 30 Days After Loss guide expands this checklist into a complete system — with fillable worksheets, phone scripts for every notification call, a debt priority hierarchy, and decision-pacing tools designed for people operating through grief fog.