The Estate Library

The Executor's 90-Day Checklist

This checklist walks an executor or administrator through the first three months of a California estate, from the day of death to a defensible listing. Its anchor is a real statutory deadline: under Probate Code 8800, the personal representative must file the inventory and appraisal with the court within four months of appointment. Work the list in order, check items off as they are done, and put the dates on a calendar from day one.

What's inside

A working list, not a reading list

Every item is an action you can take this week. The checklist is organized in four phases, each with checkboxes, so it doubles as the written log a court file likes to see. The four-month inventory and appraisal deadline sits at the center of it, because missing it is one of the most avoidable mistakes an estate makes.

Four phases covering the first three months

Checkboxes on every item for print-and-track use

A fill-in deadline tracker for the inventory and appraisal (Probate Code 8800)

The creditor claims window (Probate Code 9100) built into the schedule

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Week-by-week, with checks

Three months is enough time to get an estate moving without a single avoidable mistake. Work this list in order, and check things off as they happen. Print it, or copy the items into the estate log you keep from now on.

Deadline tracker: fill in on the day you are appointed

Date of appointment (letters issued)

____________________

Inventory and appraisal due: four months after appointment (Probate Code 8800)

____________________

The personal representative must file an inventory and appraisal of the estate with the court within four months of appointment. Work backward from this date in every phase below.

Phase 1: The first two weeks

  • Locate the original will, the deed, and certified death certificates; order at least twelve copies.
  • Secure the property: new locks, a thermostat setting, and a neighbor or relative who can check on the house regularly.
  • Confirm the homeowners insurance is in force, in writing, and maintained in the estate's name.
  • Meet the probate attorney; file the will and the petition for probate (Judicial Council form DE-111).
  • Open the estate bank account and get an EIN for the estate if the attorney advises one.
  • Photograph and inventory every room before anything is moved out.

Phase 2: Weeks three and four

  • Order the appraisal and review the assessor's parcel record for the property.
  • Start a written log: every estate action, expense, and communication, dated.
  • Flag every piece of mail that looks like a bill, statement, or claim, and route it to the estate attorney.
  • Begin gathering the ownership and value documents a probate referee will need to appraise the assets.

Phase 3: Month two

  • Track the creditor claims window: claims generally must be filed within four months of appointment (Probate Code 9100). Log every piece of mail addressed to the decedent or the estate.
  • Interview two or three listing agents. Use the twelve-question guide in the Estate Library.
  • Decide sell-as-is versus preparing the house, with input from the listing agent and the estate attorney.
  • Check the appraisal status with the probate referee; the inventory and appraisal is due within four months of appointment.
  • Keep beneficiaries informed in writing, and log every update you send.

Phase 4: Month three

  • Obtain the court authority to sell, or confirm the personal representative already holds full authority under the Independent Administration of Estates Act.
  • Price the property with the confirmation hearing in mind, and list with a defensible number.
  • Review the inventory and appraisal against the referee's figures before it is filed.
  • Confirm the four-month filing date with the estate attorney, and file well before the deadline.

Deadline watch: put both dates on the calendar

  • Four months from appointment: the inventory and appraisal must be filed with the court (Probate Code 8800).
  • Four months from appointment: the window for creditors to file claims (Probate Code 9100).
  • Nothing in this checklist promises how long the estate as a whole will take. Estates move on the court's calendar, not the family's; an estate attorney is the right person to set expectations.

This guide is general information about California estates, not legal or tax advice. Confirm your family's specific duties, deadlines, and filing requirements with a qualified California probate attorney and your tax professional.

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