You just learned that a parent, a spouse, or a close friend named you as executor in their will. It’s an honor — and, if we’re being honest, it can also feel like being handed a job you never applied for, at the worst possible time.
Take a breath. Nothing has to happen today except the essentials. Here’s the order things actually need to happen in Connecticut, in plain language.
First, understand what “named” means
Being named in a will doesn’t give you any authority yet. In Connecticut, you don’t officially become the executor until the Probate Court appoints you. Until then, you can’t legally open estate accounts or transfer anything. That’s good news: your first job is small and specific — get the paperwork started with the court.
Step 1: Locate the original will
Find the original signed will, not a photocopy. Families usually keep it in a home safe, a filing cabinet, a safe deposit box, or with the attorney who drafted it. The Probate Court will want the original. If you can only find a copy, don’t panic — tell the court; there are procedures for that — but start by looking hard for the original.
Step 2: Get certified copies of the death certificate
Order more copies than you think you need — ten to fifteen is common. The funeral home can usually order them for you. Banks, insurers, brokerages, and government agencies will each want one, and reordering later costs time.
Step 3: File with the Probate Court — within 30 days
In Connecticut, the will and an application for probate (Form PC-200) are filed with the Probate Court for the district where the person lived. There’s a 30-day clock from the date of death to get this filed, so don’t let it sit in a drawer.
At the filing, you’ll typically include the original will, a certified copy of the death certificate, and the filing fee. The court then schedules a hearing (often handled on the papers if everyone entitled to notice agrees), admits the will, and formally appoints you. You’ll receive a document — sometimes called your fiduciary certificate or letters testamentary — that proves your authority. Guard it: every bank will ask to see it.
Step 4: Secure the property and the mail
While the court process runs, protect what the person left behind:
- Make sure the home is locked, insured, and looked after (pipes in winter, lawn in summer)
- Arrange care for pets
- Have the mail forwarded to you — incoming statements and bills are how you’ll discover accounts and debts you didn’t know about
- Don’t clean out the house or give away belongings yet; that comes later, after the inventory
Step 5: Build the inventory
Once appointed, you’ll prepare an inventory of everything the estate owns: bank accounts, investments, real estate, vehicles, and valuables, with values as of the date of death. In Connecticut this inventory is generally due within two months of your appointment. The forwarded mail, tax returns, and statements you gather will do most of the work here.
What you should not do yet
- Don’t pay debts out of your own pocket or promise creditors anything in the first weeks. Creditors follow a claims process through the court.
- Don’t distribute anything — not the car, not the jewelry, not “the things everyone knows she wanted you to have” — until debts, taxes, and the court’s process are handled.
- Don’t use a power of attorney. A POA ends at death. From here on, your authority comes from the court appointment, not from any POA the person signed while alive.
When you need an attorney — and when you need help of a different kind
Questions about whether the will is valid, disputes among beneficiaries, real estate sales, and tax questions are attorney and accountant territory. Connecticut estates have filing deadlines, a creditor claims period, and — for larger estates — estate tax return requirements, even though Connecticut’s exemption is high enough that most estates owe no estate tax.
What most new executors actually struggle with isn’t the law. It’s the sheer volume of administrative work: notifying dozens of institutions, gathering statements, tracking deadlines, following up when a bank loses the paperwork for the third time. That’s the work Transference exists to take off your plate, while you stay in charge of every decision.
If you’ve been named executor in Connecticut and want the paperwork handled for you, start with our executor support services.
FAQ
Do I have to serve as executor if I was named? No. You can decline, and the court will appoint the alternate named in the will or another suitable person. If you’re unsure, it’s worth a conversation before deciding — declining is easiest before you’re appointed.
What if there’s no will? Then the court appoints an administrator instead, following Connecticut’s priority rules for who serves. The day-to-day work is much the same.
How long will all of this take? A simple Connecticut estate often takes six months to a year. We’ve written a full breakdown here: How long does it take to settle an estate in Connecticut?
Questions about your situation? Call Ed Knight at Transference directly at 203-623-6083 for a free consultation. You’ll receive a written proposal within 48 hours.
Administrative support only — not legal or tax advice.