Legal & Financial

What beneficiaries can ask an executor for, what the court file shows, how California's special notice and Texas's accounting demand work, and when to involve an attorney.

A month-by-month map of what an executor typically does and when, with real deadlines from California, Texas, and the IRS, and what commonly slows an estate down.

How co-executors share authority, how the rules differ between California and Texas, what banks require, and what to do if co-executors can't agree or one can't act.

A practical walkthrough of what being an executor actually involves, for anyone stepping into this role for the first time.

What families need to know after a farm or ranch owner dies: USDA FSA programs and loans, land versus operation, fair versus equal, and estate tax rules for farms.

What an executor should record and keep, how Texas and California rules turn those records into inventories, accountings, and closing reports, how to report to beneficiaries, how long to keep records, and a free Estate Ledger spreadsheet.

Understanding which assets bypass probate and which don't, and why this distinction matters for estate planning and settlement.

How property gets distributed after a death, whether or not a will exists, and what happens without one.

How special needs trusts and ABLE accounts protect SSI and Medicaid when a parent dies: first-party, third-party, and pooled trusts, the 2026 ABLE age change, and steps for the family.

What happens to stepchildren when a stepparent dies without a will: intestacy rules, adoption, how a surviving spouse and a person's own children share, Social Security survivor benefits for stepchildren, and how to protect stepchildren.

What it means to administer a trust, how the role differs from being an executor, and what ongoing responsibilities can look like.

The mistakes that most often expose an executor to personal liability: commingling funds, paying yourself, distributing too early, ignoring federal taxes, and missing deadlines, with examples from the IRS, California, and Texas.

What letters testamentary are, why banks and other institutions require them, how an executor gets them (with Texas, California, and Ohio examples), and when you don't need them.

What happens legally when someone dies without a will - how intestate succession works and who typically inherits.

What the family and executor should do first when a business owner dies: finding the documents, who has authority, buy-sell agreements, running or winding down, and taxes.

What happens when an estate owes more than it has: who is (and isn't) responsible, how California and Texas rank debts, why federal debts come first, what executors must avoid, and what debt collectors can and can't do.

How FEMA funeral assistance works after a declared disaster, what documents you need, and how states handle death certificates when a loved one's remains are never found.

What state laws say about life insurance and death certificates after medical aid in dying: cause and manner of death, suicide exclusions, annuities and contracts, what New York, Oregon, and Illinois provide, what to do with claims, and what we haven't reviewed.

How crime victim compensation can pay for a funeral after a homicide: typical limits, who can apply, deadlines, and how to apply in your state.

Where to look for money owed to someone who has died: the final paycheck and unused leave, income tax refunds, Social Security's month-of-death rule and $255 payment, and other refunds, with who can claim each.

A step-by-step guide to finding lost life insurance and annuities after a death: what the NAIC locator does and doesn't cover, unclaimed property, group, military, and federal coverage, the paid MIB option, how to file the claim, and what to do if it's delayed or denied.

A practical, step-by-step guide to finding a deceased person's lost accounts, life insurance, unclaimed property, pensions, and savings bonds using free official tools, and what you need to claim them.

How the inherited IRA 10-year rule works, when annual withdrawals are required, who qualifies for exceptions, how Roth IRAs and employer plans differ, why retirement accounts get no step-up in basis, and the first steps to take.

How life insurance works after a suicide or overdose death: the suicide clause and exclusion period, state differences with Texas and Colorado as examples, accidental-death policies, how manner of death matters, and how to find policies and file or appeal a claim.

How to find a deceased person's lost pension or retirement accounts: types of plans, why the Labor Department's database doesn't work for the deceased, PBGC's unclaimed pension search, Form 5500, survivor benefits, government plans, IRAs and 401(k)s, and what to bring to a claim.

What families need to know about closing out Medicare coverage after a death, including refunds and notifying additional plan providers.

How to find a deceased person's bank accounts and safe deposit box, who can access them and when, what Texas allows before probate, how FDIC rules apply, and what to bring to the bank.

How to handle a deceased person's savings bonds: co-owner and beneficiary rules, court-appointed representatives, the $100,000 small-estate path, which FS forms apply, electronic bonds, lost bonds, and how to search for unredeemed bonds now.

How to search for and claim a deceased person's unclaimed property: what it is, where to search, what documents heirs need (with Texas's ClaimItTexas as an example), savings bonds, scams, and what to do if a claim is delayed or denied.

Whether you owe tax on money or property you inherit: the federal rule, what is and isn't taxable income, retirement accounts, selling inherited property, state inheritance taxes, and what to ask the executor.

The difference between estate tax and inheritance tax, the 2026 federal exclusion, who must file Form 706, how portability works, which states tax estates or heirs, and what executors and heirs should do.

How to file a final tax return for someone who has died: who signs, due date, joint returns for surviving spouses, refunds and Form 1310, unfiled prior years, paying tax due, and when the estate must file its own return.

How the step-up in basis works for inherited property: what basis is, what value counts, the alternate valuation date, community property, joint ownership, assets that don't get a step-up, consistent basis reporting, and records to keep.

A plain-language checklist of the federal tax forms an executor may need: Form 56, final 1040, 1310, 1041, 706, 8971, 4506-T, and 5495; what each is for, when it applies, and the signs that it's time to hire a tax professional.

How county and indigent burial assistance works: who qualifies, when to apply, what it pays for, and what can reduce or block help.

Where families facing financial hardship may find help paying for a funeral - county programs, Social Security, veterans benefits, and other options.

A clear explanation of who is (and isn't) responsible for a deceased person's debts, and how this typically gets sorted out.

How estate sales work and what belongings are worth: who can sell, how companies charge, what to put in a contract, setting aside valuables, how value is determined, when an appraisal helps, and how to account for the proceeds.

How families get reimbursed for funeral costs they paid up front: where funeral expenses rank among the estate's debts in California and Texas, what to document, and what to do if the estate can't cover it.

How to handle transferring a vehicle title and continuing mortgage payments after a death.

How to access and close out a deceased person's storage unit, what proof a facility typically requires, and why unpaid units are at real risk of being auctioned off.

Why inheriting a timeshare means inheriting ongoing fees and obligations, not just a vacation property, and what options heirs typically have if they don't want to keep it.

What legally happens to firearms after the owner's death, including the extra requirements for certain regulated firearms, and why documenting a specific plan in advance genuinely matters.

What actually happens, financially and practically, when someone dies with no money to cover funeral costs, and what real options remain.

How to think through the timing of selling a deceased parent's house - the legal requirements that affect when a sale can happen, and the practical and emotional factors worth weighing.

The difference between a fetal death certificate, a commemorative stillbirth certificate, and birth and death certificates; who can request each, how Texas and California handle it, and what to do after an early loss.

What happens when a deceased person's burial preference conflicts with their surviving spouse's wishes, why the spouse's legal authority generally controls, and how to actually make a wish legally binding in advance.

What chosen family can and can't do without legal documents, and which documents give them authority: medical decisions, funeral and burial control, inheritance, and hospital visitation, with Texas as a worked example.

How to request a deceased person's medical records: who qualifies under HIPAA, what to send, the 30-day deadline, what providers may charge, what they may withhold, what to do if there's no executor, and how long records are kept.

A plain-language overview of what NAGPRA does, who it protects, and how families or tribes can pursue repatriation of ancestral remains.

What the right of disposition actually means, who typically holds it, and what happens when family members disagree about funeral or burial decisions.

What happens when an unmarried partner dies: inheritance, the shared home, joint and beneficiary accounts, funeral and medical decisions, Social Security and pensions, Texas informal marriage, and practical first steps.

What happens if nobody claims your body: who takes custody, how long officials search for family, cremation or burial at public expense, and medical education.

Who controls funeral and burial decisions when exes, estranged children, or siblings disagree: the Texas statute's order, what divorce does to a spouse's authority, the deadline to act, how to handle conflict, and how to prevent it.

How state law decides who can access a deceased person's email, social media, and cloud accounts: the three-layer priority, content versus catalogue, what an executor can and can't get, what companies may require, and why advance planning matters.

Whether you're legally entitled to bereavement leave: what federal law does and doesn't cover, which states require it, how most employers handle it, what 'unpaid but protected' means, how to document a death, and what to do if time off is denied.

A dated, source-labeled guide to state bereavement leave laws: California, Illinois, Oregon, Maryland, Vermont, Washington, states that allow sick leave for bereavement, and Texas; with who's covered, how much leave, pay, and where to verify.

How to use sick leave, PTO, or FMLA after a death: what each type covers, state examples, when grief may qualify as a serious health condition, short-term disability and ADA considerations, and questions to ask HR.

How to take time off after a miscarriage or stillbirth: FMLA eligibility, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, state reproductive-loss leave, sick leave and disability, what to tell your employer, and partners' options.