The role of the executor
If you were named as executor (sometimes called personal representative or administrator) in someone's will, you've accepted one of the most responsibility-laden volunteer jobs in American civic life. You have legal authority over another person's entire financial world. You also have personal liability for mistakes.
Your core duties are straightforward to describe, harder to execute well:
- Identify and secure all assets of the estate
- Notify and pay legitimate creditors
- File the decedent's final tax returns and any estate tax returns
- Distribute remaining assets to the beneficiaries named in the will (or, if no will, to heirs determined by state law)
- Keep meticulous records and account for every dollar
Everything else is logistics. The pages below walk through each task in the order you'll typically encounter them.
Executor task guides
In roughly the order you'll encounter them. State-specific deadlines and requirements vary — your state's page has the exact rules for your jurisdiction.
First 7 days after someone dies →
Week 1
Securing the home, locating the will, getting death certificates, and the critical tasks that can't wait.
How to file probate →
Week 2–8
Opening the probate case in your state — the petition, the hearing, the documents you'll need.
What are letters testamentary? →
Week 4–8
The court document that gives you legal authority to act for the estate. What they are, how to get them, what they let you do.
How to notify creditors →
Month 2–6
The mandatory creditor notice period explained. Publication, direct notice, and claim evaluation.
How to inventory the estate →
Month 2–6
Identifying assets, valuing them properly, and preparing the inventory the court requires.
How to pay estate debts →
Month 4–9
Which creditors have priority, what to do when the estate has more debt than assets, and how to handle disputed claims.
Filing the final tax return →
Month 4–15
The decedent's final Form 1040, the estate's Form 1041, and when estate tax (Form 706) applies.
Handling the deceased's house →
Month 1–18
Mortgage, insurance, taxes, maintenance, and the decision to sell or transfer. Practical guidance for the largest estate asset most families face.
Closing the estate →
Month 12–24
Final accounting, petition for distribution, court approval, and distributing assets to beneficiaries.
Executor personal liability →
Throughout
What you can be personally on the hook for, how to protect yourself, and the common mistakes that create liability.