Executor's Checklist: the first 90 days after a death
For executors and family helping settle an estate
Checked against official SSA, IRS, USAGov and FTC pages on 2026-10-07. Rules change; the agency's or court's current instructions win.
If someone close to you has died and the paperwork has landed with you, you don't have to work it all out at once.
This kit is a calm, ordered list of the paperwork that usually follows a death in the U.S., with trackers so you can see what's done and what's next. It's built from free official guidance: USAGov's list of agencies to notify when someone dies, the Social Security Administration, the IRS and the Federal Trade Commission. For anything about the court side, it points you to your own state's court self-help page instead of guessing.
Not legal or tax advice. Free official help comes first: the Social Security Administration, the IRS, USAGov and your state's courts publish free guidance, and IRS forms and an estate EIN are free. This kit is a convenience, not a requirement; you don't need it to settle an estate.
Instant download. 14-day no-questions refund. Edition 1.0, dated 2026-10-07. For use in any state; state court rules you look up on your state's own page.
What's inside
Three stretches (the first two weeks, weeks 3 to 6, weeks 7 to 13): typical organizing phases, not legal deadlines; your court and state set the real deadlines.
Death certificates and Social Security: what USAGov and SSA say, in one place.
Who to notify: USAGov's list of government offices, plus banks, cards, credit bureaus, utilities and subscriptions.
The federal tax pieces the IRS describes: the estate EIN (free from the IRS), Form 56, the final Form 1040 and when Form 1041 applies.
Debts: short quotes from the FTC, with a link to its full page.
11 forms, printable and editable in Word: key facts; document finder; death certificate copies; notification log; accounts and property list; bills and recurring charges; expenses and receipts log; state court page notes; questions for professionals; online accounts and subscriptions; and a notification letter for companies.
Links to an official court self-help page for all 50 states and DC, each opened and checked on 2026-10-07 (also free on this page).
What it isn't
It's organizing and tracking only. It isn't legal or tax advice, it doesn't say whether a court case (probate) is needed, and it doesn't give any state's probate steps; your state's court page and an attorney do that. It doesn't file anything for you. The free official guidance is linked on every page: USAGov, Social Security, the IRS (Publication 559) and the FTC.
Not legal or tax advice. Free official help comes first: the Social Security Administration, the IRS, USAGov and your state's courts publish free guidance, and IRS forms and an estate EIN are free. This kit is a convenience, not a requirement; you don't need it to settle an estate.
Instant download. 14-day no-questions refund. Edition 1.0, dated 2026-10-07. For use in any state; state court rules you look up on your state's own page.