Executor Duties: A Complete Checklist (2026)

An executor's job is to collect and protect the estate's assets, pay its debts and taxes, and distribute what remains to the beneficiaries — all while keeping careful records and acting in the estate's best interest. It's a legal responsibility, not just an honorary title: an executor can be held personally liable for mistakes like paying heirs before creditors or mismanaging assets, so working in the right order matters.

The executor's checklist

1. Locate the will and death certificates — order several certified copies; you'll need them everywhere.
2. File for probate — submit the will to the court and get formally appointed (letters testamentary).
3. Secure the assets — lock the home, safeguard valuables, and keep property insured and maintained.
4. Open an estate bank account — never mix estate money with your own; all estate income and payments flow through it.
5. Inventory and value everything — list all assets and get appraisals where needed.
6. Notify creditors and pay valid debts — in the legally required order, before distributing to heirs.
7. File final taxes — the deceased's last personal return, and estate taxes if applicable.
8. Distribute the remainder — pass assets to beneficiaries per the will, and get signed receipts.
9. Close the estate — file a final accounting with the court.

Where executors get into trouble

The two most common — and most costly — mistakes are distributing assets to heirs before debts and taxes are paid, and commingling estate funds with personal money. Both can make the executor personally liable. Poor records are a close third: keep every receipt and a running ledger.

Getting the home ready

Clearing and selling the home is often the executor's biggest practical task. Secure it, inventory the contents, hold anything valuable until you have authority to distribute, then use a cleanout company and estate-sale professional to empty and prepare it for sale. Sale proceeds go into the estate account, not to heirs directly.

You don't have to do it alone

Executors are entitled to hire help — an estate attorney for the legal steps, an accountant for taxes, and a cleanout crew for the property — and to pay those costs from the estate. For anything beyond a very simple estate, professional guidance protects both the estate and you.

This article is general information, not legal advice; consult a probate attorney about your duties in your state.