Executor Checklist Printable, Executor Binder, What to Do When Someone Dies Checklist, Estate Settlement Organizer PDF

INSTANT DIGITAL DOWNLOAD. Nothing physical ships. After purchase, download from Purchases & Reviews or the link in your Etsy email.

PDF download; physical binder not included.

When someone you love dies, you shouldn't have to figure it all out alone.

Being named executor is a real job, usually handed to you in the middle of grief. This workbook breaks settling an estate into calm, manageable steps, from the first 72 hours to closing the estate, and gives you one place to track every deadline, account, dollar, call, and letter. Good records protect you as executor and keep the family informed.

WHAT'S INSIDE: 35 pages, 10 tabbed sections
• Start Here: estate at a glance, month-by-month roadmap, key contacts
• First Days: first-72-hours checklist, death certificate tracker, finding the paperwork (document hunt)
• Probate & People: plain-English probate overview with questions for the attorney, court & deadline tracker, heirs & beneficiaries
• Assets & Debts: probate asset inventory with date-of-death values, non-probate assets & benefit claims, debts & creditor claims
• Estate Money: setting up the estate account (EIN steps), ledgers for money in and money out, executor time & expense log
• Notifications: who-to-notify master checklist, call script & log, fill-in Notice of Death letter, fill-in Close/Transfer Account letter, mail, identity-theft & digital accounts
• Home & Property: securing the home, real estate & vehicles tracker, personal belongings distribution
• Taxes: return checklist (final 1040, 1041, 706, state returns) with key federal deadlines and a due-date tracker
• Distribution & Closing: distribution tracker with receipts, closing checklist, final accounting summary
• Records: meeting & decision notes, notes pages

MADE FOR THE EXECUTOR, NOT THE PLANNER
Most "in case I die" binders are filled in by the person planning ahead. This workbook is for the person left with the job afterward: the daughter, son, spouse, or friend who has to call the banks, file the claims, and keep the books. US-focused: tax forms, deadlines, and benefit examples (IRS, Social Security, Medicare) follow US rules. Outside the US, the tracking pages still work, but check your local rules.

FORMATS: INSTANT DOWNLOAD
• Printable PDF in US Letter (8.5 × 11 in) and A4
• Fillable PDF in US Letter and A4, with 2,000+ type-in fields and checkboxes, a clickable table of contents, and section tabs that link back to contents
• To type in the fields, use free Adobe Acrobat Reader. Apps like GoodNotes/Notability let you write on the pages by hand.
• Wide left margin for 3-hole punching, and generous writing space

HOW IT WORKS
1. Check out, then download your files from You > Purchases and Reviews on Etsy, or from the link in your Etsy confirmation email.
2. Print at home or at a print shop, or fill it in on your computer or tablet.
3. Keep it with the estate papers and bring it to every meeting with the attorney, accountant, or bank.

PLEASE NOTE
• This is a digital download. No physical item will be shipped.
• Colors may vary slightly by screen and printer.
• For personal use, including managing a family member's affairs or estate. You may share completed pages with family, caregivers, executors and advisers helping with those affairs. No resale, public posting, or reuse of blank templates for clients.

IMPORTANT: NOT LEGAL ADVICE
This workbook is an organizer and general educational guide for executors and administrators. It is not legal, financial, tax, medical, or professional advice. These pages are for organizing information and preferences, not creating or changing legal documents. Probate, creditor deadlines, and tax rules differ by location, so work with a probate or estate attorney and a tax professional before distributing property, paying debts, or filing returns. Laws vary by state and country; for legal documents and decisions, consult a qualified attorney or professional.

HOW THIS WAS MADE
Designed by HeartsInOrder with the help of AI tools for drafting and layout, then reviewed and edited by me before release. This was not a professional legal review.

ALSO IN THE HEARTS IN ORDER COLLECTION
• In Case I Die: Family Legacy Binder: the key information your family needs to know
• Family Emergency Binder: grab-and-go plans for fires, storms and outages
• My Final Wishes: Funeral & Memorial Planner: burial, cremation, service and obituary wishes
Save with the Legacy Planning Bundle.

REFUNDS
Digital downloads are generally non-refundable once delivered. We'll always fix download or file problems, refund duplicate purchases, and refund the product if a defective or undelivered file reported within 30 days of purchase can't be fixed within 14 days of your report. Full details are in this shop's policies.

QUESTIONS
Send me an Etsy message. I'm happy to help with downloads and the files themselves, but I can't give legal, tax, or financial advice about your situation.