May 13, 2026
If you're trying to figure out what to do after someone dies, this guide breaks down what to do. It's a simple, step-by-step guide to help you manage the tasks no one prepares you for.
The average executor spends 570 hours over 16 months settling an estate. That' includes the things your attorney handles (if you need one) and the dozens account closures, government notifications, subscription cancellations, and the endless hold music while you explain your situation to a cable company for the fifth time.
Nobody tells you this part exists.
There is a lot of help to guide you through the first 48 hours after losscall the funeral home, get death certificates, find the will. All of that is important. But the bulk of the executor's job starts after the funeral and continues for months.
This guide covers both phases: the immediate steps you need to handle right away, and the long administrative coordination work that follows. By the end, you'll have a clear picture of what you're actually responsible for, what your attorney handles, and where getting help makes sense.
Each step is covered in full below but if you don't have time to read it all, you can download our free executor guide here.
The first things to handle when someone dies fall into four categories: getting an official declaration, notifying family, arranging care for dependents, and contacting a funeral home. Here's each one.
If your loved one died in a hospital, hospice facility, or nursing home, the medical staff handles the official declaration. If they died at home unexpectedly, call 911. Emergency responders or a physician must formally pronounce the death before any next steps can happen. This information will be included on the death certificate which you'll receive later from the funeral home.
Call the people who need to hear this directly, before they find out through social media. There's no rule for this only that sooner is better, and a call is better than a text.
If the deceased had children, dependent adults, or pets in their care, this needs immediate attention. Locate any arrangements they made, and get temporary care in place if no plan exists.
The funeral home coordinates transportation, helps file for the death certificate, and typically handles notifying the Social Security Administration of the death. You don't need to make all decisions right now just get them involved.
The funeral home will usually order these for you. The number of certificates needed is unique to your situationi. Many organizations are beginning to accept copies of death certificates but it's still advisable to acquire originals. They're usually about $25 each. If you're worried about costs, you can start with a few and always order more later. These will be used for financial institutions, government agency, insurance companies and more. AARP recommends ordering at least 10 for a typical estate.
Search the deceased's files, safe deposit box, and attorney's office. The will identifies who has executor authority and how assets should be distributed. If you can't find it within the first week, contact the estate planning attorney they worked with. If there isn't a will, probate may be required. The need for probate varies based on things llike the valuation of estate, whether there is a surviving spouse and more. Check with your specific state to determine next steps.
Assuming there is a will, you will need to take the original will to probate court in the county where the deceased lived. You will need to do so sooner rather than later as each state has certain timeliness for filing. The court will issue Letters Testamentary which is the document that gives you legal authority to act as executor. Most institutions won't talk to you without it. Unless you are a joint account owner with transfer on death rights, you cannot legally move or transfer estate assets until letters are issued, so don't delay this step.
If there isn't a will, the process is slightly more complex as the court will determine how the estate should be settled. It's best to consult with an attorney who will help you receive letters of administration or a small estate affidavit.
Change locks if the property is unoccupied. Cancel any scheduled deliveries that would signal an empty home. If there's a vehicle, verify it's stored safely. Assets that disappear before the estate is settled are the executor's responsibility.
File a USPS forwarding request using form PS Form 3575 to route the deceased's mail to you. You'll need to appear in person with proof of executor authority. This prevents bills, checks, and important correspondence from sitting unread at an empty address.
Many people think settling an estate requires a few calls, meetings and forms. And if there's an attorney, they'll handle the rest. Unfortunately, unles you have a bottomless bank account to afford a $400/hour attorney, this isn't the case.
Your probate attorney handles the legal work: filing with the court, obtaining letters testamentary, legal disputes between beneficiaries, deed transfers, and tax guidance. For complicated estates, an attorney is genuinely necessary for these tasks.
What your attorney does not handle, and what falls entirely on you, is the administrative coordination work: notifying the dozens of companies, closing accounts, canceling subscriptions, handling employer paperwork, and tracking what's been done, what's pending, and what each institution still needs.
Administrative coordination doesn't require legal expertise, so attorneys don't include it in their scope. The problem is that nobody tells you this work exists until you're three weeks in with 60 tabs open.
Your attorney handlesYou handleProbate court filingsUtility and subscription cancellationsLetters testamentaryGovernment notificationsLegal disputes between beneficiariesSocial media account closuresDeed and title transfersEmployer notifications and final paycheck coordinationEstate and income tax guidanceCoordinating with banks, investment firms, and insurers
Think about how many accounts and services a person accumulates over a lifetime. Every utility. Every streaming service. Every professional membership. Every social media profile. Every bank account. Every subscription. Every loyalty program. Each one has its own process, its own documentation requirements, and its own hold times.
Here's what that actually looks like, category by category.
Federal and state agencies continue paying benefits and keeping records active until formally notified. Overpayments must be returned to the government. Survivor benefits your family is entitled to won't start until you contact the right agencies. Missing these steps can delay estate closure by months.
A deceased person's personal information stays active in databases for months. Without action, the estate is exposed to identity theft, and the family faces the risk of credit fraud in the deceased's name.
Utility accounts keep billing after death. Canceling them (or updating the name and payment information) promptly stops ongoing charges from draining estate funds and avoids collections complications that slow down estate closure.
Recurring charges keep hitting the estate's accounts until actively canceled. Most services require direct contact or an online cancellation process. They will not stop billing because of a death notice alone.
Unmanaged social media profiles become targets for hackers and can surface painful content unexpectedly for family. Most platforms offer formal memorialization or removal options.
The employer may be holding final pay, unused vacation time, or pending reimbursements that belong to the estate. Payroll or direct deposits must be stopped immediately to avoid overpayments that must later be returned.
Financial account closures work differently from the categories above. It is advised to initiate the process by filing a death notification online or by phone. Once that's completed, banks, investment firms, and credit card companies require the executor to be directly present or legally verified for each closure or transfer. An intital notification can be filed online or by phone to start the process but in order to officially close the account and transferfunds, due to legalities, they cannot be handled remotely by a third party the same way a utility cancellation can.
The process: submit the death certificate and letters testamentary to initiate, then work through each institution's specific closure or transfer procedure. Institutions involved typically include:
Assuming you have all documentation, allow two to six weeks per institution at a minimum once all information is submitted.
Settling an estate takes an average of 16 months and requires approximately 570 hours of executor work. Simpler estates can be resolved in 390 hours; complex ones can exceed 1,200 hours.
Where does the time go? Most executors are surprised to find that probate itself isn't the bottleneck. Legal filings happen in defined stages with clear milestones. What stretches on for months is the account closure and notification work. The constant back-and-forth with companies that have their own timelines, their own documentation requirements, and their own hold queues.
Consider what Mark, an executor for his mother's estate in Illinois, actually experienced. He assumed the hardest part would be the court filings. Instead, he spent four months making calls during his lunch break: a cable company that required an in-person visit to a store two hours away, a streaming service with no phone number and a broken cancellation form, a bank that needed notarized documents his attorney hadn't mentioned. The probate process itself took five months. The account closures and notifications took nine and that was before he discovered the self-storage unit and the professional association memberships he hadn't known about.
That's not unusual. It's the part of the executor role nobody warns you about.
When someone dies, most institutions won't talk to you until you can prove your legal authority. Before you start contacting them, gather these:
Expert tip: once you have financial statements in hand, list every recurring charge you see. That list becomes your cancellation checklist. Charges you don't catch keep billing until you cancel them and the estate is responsible for paying them.
A few things that often cause confusion -- these are not your responsibility as executor:
Life insurance claims -- handled directly by beneficiaries, not through the estate. Each policy has its own claim process. Beneficiaries should contact the insurance company with the policy number and a certified death certificate.
Tax preparation -- the estate needs a final individual income tax return (Form 1040) for the period from January 1 through the date of death. Estate tax returns (Form 706) may also be required for larger estates. Both require a CPA.
Estate appraisals -- valuing jewelry, art, real estate, or collectibles requires a certified appraiser, not an executor's informal estimate. You are responsible for coordination.
Probate court filings -- your attorney handles these. Your job is to provide them with accurate information and sign what they prepare.
Most executors underestimate this phase until they're in it.
DIY is possible. If you free time available for phone calls, paperwork, and coordination, and you're not also trying to grieve, manage family, and work full-time, you can work through the closures yourself. A systematic approach and a detailed spreadsheet will get you there.
Most executors aren't in that situation.
Here's how the options compare:
AnnCare provides executor assistance for a flat fee of $699. We handle 70+ direct closures -- utilities, subscriptions, government notifications, social media, employer coordination -- and submit the documentation needed to initiate financial account closures, then walk you through each institution's specific process. We can save the average executor 80 hours.
See how AnnCare can help settle your estate and whether it's the right fit for your situation.
Usually yes -- but for different things. An attorney handles probate filings, legal disputes, deed transfers, and tax guidance. An executor assistance service handles the administrative coordination: notifications, closures, and the paperwork your attorney doesn't touch. The two roles complement each other. One doesn't replace the other.
Yes, in most states. Reasonable administrative expenses -- including executor assistance fees, attorney fees, and CPA fees -- can typically be paid from estate funds rather than out of your own pocket. Confirm the rules with your probate attorney given your state's specific requirements.
This happens more often than people expect. A thorough 12-month statement review catches most recurring accounts upfront. If accounts surface after settlement, they can usually be addressed on a case-by-case basis. The key is having solid records that show you acted in good faith throughout the process.
Financial institutions require direct interaction with the executor because of fiduciary and security requirements. The standard process: submit the death certificate and letters testamentary to initiate, then follow each institution's specific closure or transfer procedure. Some require in-person visits; others allow certified mail or secure fax. Allow two to four weeks per institution once documentation is submitted.
For deaths in 2026, a federal estate tax return is required only if the gross estate exceeds $15 million. Most estates fall well below this threshold and owe no federal estate tax. Your CPA can confirm whether your specific estate requires a filing.
Completely normal. The average executor didn't volunteer to become an expert in account closure procedures, probate court timelines, and estate tax rules -- all while grieving. The 570-hour average exists because this is genuinely a lot of work. If it feels hard, that's because it is.
Being an executor means doing two separate jobs: the legal work your attorney guides you through, and the administrative coordination work that falls entirely on you.
The legal steps have clear milestones. The administrative phase -- the 70+ closures and notifications -- stretches on, takes the most hours, and gets the least guidance.
Here's the short version of what matters most:
AnnCare handles the 50+ administrative closures and notifications that fall on executors after a death -- so you can focus on the legal decisions, your family, and the parts that actually require you. Get started for $699 or learn more about what we handle.
Get a free consultation today and see how we can lift the burden for families.
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