How many death certificates does an executor need?

Ten to fifteen certified copies is a common starting point. Each bank, insurer, brokerage, and government agency generally wants its own certified original, and ordering more later costs both time and an additional fee per copy.

Should an executor pay the deceased person's bills right away?

Not from personal funds, and not before understanding what the estate owes. States set an order in which estate debts must be paid, and an executor who pays lower-priority creditors first can be held personally responsible for the shortfall.

When does an executor need a lawyer?

Common triggers are real estate in more than one state, a business interest, debts that may exceed assets, an heir who is threatening to contest the will, or a blended family with children from an earlier marriage.

Free checklist

The executor's first week

You have been named executor and you are also grieving. Almost nothing on the long lists you have found online has to happen this week. This is the part that does.

Do these first

Order ten to fifteen certified death certificates. The funeral home can order them for you. Almost every bank, insurer, and agency wants its own certified original, and going back for more later costs another fee and another wait.
Find the original signed will. Check a home safe, a filing cabinet, the drafting attorney's office, and the bank safe deposit box. Courts routinely reject photocopies.
Secure the home and the valuables. If several people have keys, change the locks. Move jewelry, cash, firearms, and documents somewhere only you can reach. This is not distrust, it is the job — you can be held responsible for property that disappears.
Redirect the mail. A forwarding order at the post office is how you find the accounts nobody told you about. Statements, premium notices, and tax documents will do most of your asset search for you.
Notify Social Security. The funeral director often reports the death, but confirm it. Benefits paid for the month of death usually have to be returned, and it is far easier to stop a deposit than to claw one back.
Contact the employer or pension plan. Ask about a final paycheck, unused leave, life insurance through work, and any survivor benefit. These are commonly missed because nobody thinks to ask.
Do not pay any debts yet. Not from your own money, and not from the estate until you know what is owed. States set an order of priority for estate debts, and paying the wrong creditor first can land on you personally.
Cancel what bills automatically. Subscriptions, gym memberships, phone plans. Small, but they run for months if nobody stops them.
Ask whether probate is even required. Assets with a named beneficiary, joint accounts, and trust property usually pass outside probate. Many estates turn out to be small enough for a simplified affidavit instead.
Open a separate estate bank account before moving any money. Never run estate funds through your personal account. You will have to account for every dollar later, and mixed funds are the single most common reason an executor gets into trouble.

What can wait

Filing the will with the court usually has a deadline measured in weeks or months, not days. Valuing the house, sorting personal belongings, and dividing anything among heirs can all wait until you know what the estate holds and what it owes. Distributing assets early is the mistake that is hardest to undo — once money is out the door and a creditor appears, getting it back is your problem.

The account nobody warns you about

If the person who died had an IRA or a 401(k), that money does not pass through the will at all. It goes to whoever is named as beneficiary on the account, and it comes with its own set of deadlines that start running immediately. Missing the annual withdrawal on an inherited retirement account carries an excise tax of 25 percent of the amount that should have come out.

Check which inherited IRA rule applies — five questions, no sign-up.

Common questions

How many death certificates will I actually need?

Ten to fifteen is a reasonable starting point for a typical estate. Count the institutions: each bank, each brokerage, each insurer, the pension provider, the DMV for any vehicle, the county for any real estate. Most will not accept a photocopy and many will not return the original.

Can I be paid for doing this?

Yes. Executors are entitled to a fee, set either by state law as a percentage of the estate or as a reasonable amount subject to court approval. Family members often waive it, but it is worth knowing it exists — this job routinely takes six to twelve months of real work.

When do I actually need a lawyer?

Real estate in more than one state, a business interest, debts that may exceed the assets, an heir threatening to contest, or a blended family with children from an earlier marriage. Any of those and the fee is cheaper than the mistake. A straightforward estate with clear beneficiaries and no conflict can often be handled without one.

What if I do not want the job?

You can decline. Being named in a will does not obligate you to serve, and there is a formal process to renounce the appointment — the court then moves to the alternate named in the will, or appoints someone. It is far better to decline at the start than to resign halfway through.

Educational information only. Not legal, tax, or financial advice. Probate rules vary significantly by state. Confirm anything that matters with an attorney licensed in the state where the estate will be administered.