Probate a parent's estate as the executor

  1. Order certified death certificates
    30 min

    This step produces 10–15 certified copies of the death certificate and a record of which institution gets each one. Certified copies carry the state's raised or embossed seal — banks, the court, the IRS, and insurers will not accept a photocopy, so this is the most requested document of the whole case.

    1. Ask the funeral director whether copies were ordered with the funeral arrangements — most order them automatically at the state's per-copy price.
    2. If not, order from the county vital records office or the state health department. Find your state's office, form, and fee in the CDC's Where to Write for Vital Records directory.
    3. Order 10–15 copies. The per-copy fee varies by state, commonly $10–$30, and county offices often produce them same-day in person.
    4. Assign copies as you go: 1–2 for the court, 1 for Social Security, 1 for the IRS, 1–2 for the estate bank account, 1 per life insurance policy, and 1–2 for the estate file.
    5. Log the count, the per-copy cost, and where each copy was assigned in the estate file.