The Executor's Binder: First 12 Months Organized

Just named executor and not sure where to start? The Executor's Binder walks you through the first 12 months, one step at a time, and gives you a place to write down everything you need to track.

Instead of a pile of paper and a long to-do list in your head, you get one organized, printable binder in four PDF parts:

- Part 1, Month-by-Month Roadmap: from the first 72 hours through month 12, covering death certificates, Social Security, an EIN, IRS Form 56, the estate account, probate, creditor notices, tax returns (Form 1040, 1041, and when Form 706 may apply) and closing the estate. Includes a deadline table and a list of official .gov sources.

- Part 2, Fill-in Worksheets: contacts, assets, accounts and subscriptions, debts, insurance and benefits, deadlines, an estate ledger and a distribution record with a receipt template. A filled-in sample shows how to use them.

- Part 3, 12 Ready-to-Use Letter Templates: banks, credit card companies, credit bureaus, creditors, debt collectors, utilities and phone providers, subscriptions, life insurance and pensions, home and auto insurers, lenders and landlords, and the employer.

- Part 4, State Directory: the probate court and official website for all 50 states plus DC, with a page for your county details.

Who it is for: first-time executors and personal representatives, family members helping an executor, and anyone who wants a clear order of tasks during a stressful year.

Good to know: this is an educational organizing tool, not legal, tax or financial advice, and it does not replace an attorney, CPA or the probate court. Rules, deadlines, fees and thresholds vary by state and change over time, so the binder points you to official sources (dated November 2026) to confirm. It also tells you never to write down passwords or full account numbers.

Print it, put it in a 3-ring binder and work through it at your own pace.