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Probate Administration Document Checklist

Estate administration slows down over small things: an unsigned waiver, an unverified address, an asset nobody valued. This checklist walks the file by stage — opening, notice, inventory, administration, distribution and closing — so a firm can see what is missing while it still has time to fix it.

Who it's for
Probate attorneys, estate and trust attorneys, and probate paralegals.
Probate administration file with a will, death certificate, inventory schedules and beneficiary receipts

Opening the estate

  • Certified death certificate
  • Original will and any codicils, with the location and custodian documented
  • Prior wills known to exist
  • Names, addresses and relationships of all interested persons
  • Proposed personal representative's qualification information
  • Preliminary asset list with the approximate value of each item
  • Whether formal or summary administration is intended

Notice and creditor phase

  • Service and notice list with verified addresses for every interested person
  • Publication information for the notice to creditors
  • Known creditors identified from mail, statements and credit reports
  • Claims received, with date received and amount
  • Objections to claims and their disposition

Inventory and valuation

  • Financial account statements as of the date of death
  • Deeds, mortgage statements and property tax records for real property
  • Vehicle titles and registrations
  • Appraisals for real property, collectibles and business interests
  • Business ownership documents, operating agreements and buy-sell provisions
  • Life insurance and retirement account beneficiary designations
  • Safe deposit box inventory

Administration

  • Estate account opened, with the estate's own tax identification number
  • Ongoing income and expense records for the estate
  • Insurance maintained on estate property, with proof of coverage
  • Tax filings identified: final individual return, fiduciary returns, estate tax if applicable
  • Sales of estate property with closing statements

Distribution and closing

  • Distribution plan matched to the will or the intestate scheme
  • Receipts and releases from each beneficiary
  • Accounting for the administration period, or waivers where permitted
  • Final expenses and fees documented
  • Discharge documents prepared for attorney review

Practical notes

  • • Verify every interested-person address early. Notice defects surface late and cost the most.
  • • Keep estate funds strictly separate from personal funds from day one — commingling is the most common accounting problem in an estate file.
  • • The attorney of record confirms which forms, schedules and local variations the court requires.
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Confirm the scope in writing, pay the flat fee, sign the service agreement, complete the matter intake, then upload your records to the secure vault. Preparation begins when the file is complete.

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