Enter Decedent Information
EstateExec can provide better service if it knows a few things about the Decedent, which you can enter on the Decedent Tab (this tab will typically be named with the label you have given the estate, such as "Mom" or "Julia Conterro"). In addition, having this information in a central place will be very helpful, as it will be referred to repeatedly throughout the estate settlement process.
While most of the fields on the Decedent Tab are self-explanatory, here are a few notes:
Legal Residence
Regardless of where the estate owner passes away, his or her last legal address determines how the estate must be settled:
State (and Country)
The state of residence is used to determine the laws and practices applicable to the settlement process. Normally, the decedent's legal state (and country) of residence are set during the initial estate creation, but if necessary you can change this information via the Decedent Tab. You can use EstateExec for any country as desired, but the Tasks and the accounting practices specifically support US states and Canadian provinces.
County
The county of residence can also be important, as it often determines which probate court has jurisdiction. Additionally, EstateExec Tasks sometimes list services that can help you accomplish the task (e.g., estate sales, appraisals), and these suggestions are often local to the county.
Date of Death
The date of death is used to calculate due dates on the Tasks Tab, to determine applicable tax and inheritance laws, and more. If the estate owner is still living, just leave this blank.
Marriage and Divorce Certificates
Marriage and divorce certificates are not commonly needed during estate settlement, but can be quite helpful if questions arise after the death, or the will or intestate succession is challenged.
Military Service Records
If applicable, military records may be helpful when communicating with the Veteran's Administration about potential veteran's benefits.
SSN
EstateExec doesn't use the social security number for anything; this field is just for your convenience so you can have one location to store everything. You don't have to enter it here if you don't want to.
Phone & Email
Don't worry if you don't have the phone numbers or email address. These can sometimes be helpful in proving identity or logging in, but they aren't strictly required.
Estate Information
Once the estate owner has passed away, you may want to track some additional information:
EIN
You will need an EIN to open an estate account, file estate taxes, etc. To obtain an EIN for the estate, you will have to apply to the IRS (see First 3 Months).
Probate Case #
If you apply for probate, you will be given a case number, and EstateExec will automatically include this number in your accounting reports.
Probate Court
The Probate Court field holds the name of the court associated with the estate's probate. If website information is available, the displayed name will be a hyperlink that leads to that court's website.
If this information is not automatically filled in when you enter the County of Residence, or if you want to change it, you can click the icon in the field to bring up a dialog that allows you to edit the information. For help in determining the appropriate court, click the "find..." link next to the field.
Tip: People sometimes wonder where they can enter the decedent's marital status, but this information isn't relevant here. If the decedent has a surviving spouse, you can enter that on the Heirs tab, selecting Spouse for the Relationship.