Wrapping up
Close the estate with the court
The court formally discharges you as executor when the final accounting is approved and all distributions are documented.
- When to do it
- After distributions are complete.
- Estimated time
- 4–8 weeks from filing to discharge
What you’ll need
- Final accounting
- Beneficiary receipts and releases
- Petition for discharge / final settlement
Steps
- File the petition for final settlement and discharge with the court.
- Provide notice to interested parties.
- Attend any required hearing.
- Once discharged, your fiduciary obligations end.
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Related tasks
- Distribute remaining assets to beneficiariesOnce debts, taxes, and expenses are paid, what remains goes to the people named in the will (or to heirs by law if there's no will).
- Order certified copies of the death certificateYou'll need certified copies of the death certificate for nearly everything else — banks, insurers, the court, the Social Security Administration.
- Locate the will and any trust documentsFind the original will. Photocopies are not the same as originals, and the original is what gets filed with the court.