Being named executor in Washington is a 12–18 month job nobody trained you for. This is the whole sequence — what Washington requires of you, what is merely sensible, and which statute each requirement comes from.
Estate tax filing threshold and applicable exclusion by date of death.read at source
$3,076,000 (Jan 1 - Jun 30, 2026); $3,000,000 (on/after Jul 1, 2026)
Wash. Dep't of Revenue, Estate tax tables · last checked 2026-09-05
Served creditor: later of 30 days after service or 4 months from first publication. Reasonably ascertainable creditor not given actual notice, or no notice published: 24 months from the date of death.read at source
4 months / 24 months
RCW 11.40.051 · last checked 2026-09-05
Washington specifics (verified against public sources July 2026 but NOT yet reviewed by an attorney -- confirm with the Superior Court or a probate attorney): probate is handled in the Superior Court. Prepare an inventory and appraisement; Washington does not file it with the court — furnish it within 10 days to any heir, beneficiary, or creditor who requests it in writing (RCW 11.44). Washington creditors are barred 4 months after first publication of the notice to creditors (a served creditor gets the later of 4 months or 30 days after service); a 24-month bar from death applies if no notice is published (RCW 11.40.051). Washington has a state ESTATE tax. The exclusion is $3,076,000 for deaths Jan 1-Jun 30, 2026 and $3,000,000 for deaths on/after July 1, 2026 (keyed to date of death). No inheritance tax. General information, not legal advice.
Steps are grouped the way the work actually arrives. Required marks a duty backed by a citation; Recommended marks something that protects you or the estate but is not itself a legal obligation.
Nearly every institution requires an original certified copy.
How: Order through the funeral home or the state vital-records office.
Washington requires the will's custodian to deliver it within 30 days of learning of the death (a named executor with custody: 40 days) to the court or the personal representative (RCW 11.20.010).
How: Take the original will to the Superior Court or the named representative promptly.
You are responsible for protecting estate property from loss.
How: Lock up, collect keys, consider re-keying, keep utilities on for now.
The mail reveals accounts and bills you don't know about.
How: USPS forwarding as 'representative for the estate of...'. Photograph everything into Settle.
Stops benefit payments that would have to be repaid. Survivor benefits are separate — nobody starts them for you.
How: The funeral home usually reports the death — confirm by calling SSA at 1-800-772-1213. If a surviving spouse or child may qualify for survivors benefits or the $255 lump-sum death payment, they must apply themselves; you cannot apply online. Ask about the benefit paid for the month of death, which often has to be returned.
Small estates can often skip full probate -- faster and cheaper.
How: A small-estate affidavit is available for personal property of $100,000 or less, usable 40 days after death (RCW 11.62).
Gets you the letters of authority so institutions will deal with you.
How: File in the Superior Court in the county where they lived.
Statements, deeds, titles, and tax returns recur constantly through settlement.
How: Photograph everything into Settle as you find it.
Vacancy can limit or void coverage; an uninsured loss drains the estate.
How: Call the insurer and ask about a vacancy endorsement.
Needed for the estate bank account and tax filings.
How: Free at irs.gov, 15 minutes online.
Never mix estate money with your own.
How: Bring the letters, EIN, and a death certificate to the bank.
Washington creditors are barred 4 months after first publication of the notice to creditors (a served creditor gets the later of 4 months or 30 days after service); a 24-month bar from death applies if no notice is published (RCW 11.40.051).
How: Publish and mail the required notices; track claims in Settle.
Freezes accounts against fraud; starts transfers.
How: Write to each institution with a certified death certificate and, once the court issues them, a copy of your Letters. Log who you contacted and when in Settle so you can show the follow-up trail.
Policies pay beneficiaries directly and often quickly.
How: Call each insurer with policy number + death certificate.
Stops fees and identity theft.
How: Notify issuers, then Equifax, Experian, TransUnion.
Small drains add up over a long settlement.
How: Bank statements and forwarded mail reveal them.
Prepare an inventory and appraisement; Washington does not file it with the court — furnish it within 10 days to any heir, beneficiary, or creditor who requests it in writing (RCW 11.44).
How: Settle's inventory report gives you the asset list with date-of-death values.
Date-of-death values set tax basis and drive distribution.
How: Real estate: appraisal or broker opinion. Keep reports in Settle.
Protects estate value; order of payment matters if funds are tight.
How: Estate account only. If the estate may be insolvent, pause and get advice.
Washington has a state ESTATE tax. The exclusion is $3,076,000 for deaths Jan 1-Jun 30, 2026 and $3,000,000 for deaths on/after July 1, 2026 (keyed to date of death). No inheritance tax.
How: A CPA or estate attorney can confirm what applies and prepare any required return. Hand them Settle's inventory and ledger.
A final personal return (and possibly an estate income return) is due.
How: A CPA experienced with estates is usually worth it -- hand them Settle's reports.
Wash. Dep't of Revenue, Estate tax tables · last checked 2026-09-05read at source
Documented expenses come back to you from the estate.
How: Settle's ledger tracks 'paid personally' items; reimburse with a paper trail.
Distribute only after debts, taxes, and the creditor period are handled -- early distribution can create personal liability.
How: Follow the will (or state intestacy rules). Get signed receipts; keep them in Settle.
The court discharges you once the estate is settled.
How: Generate Settle's Ledger and Inventory reports; file the final account. Keep records for several years.
Settle builds this checklist into a plan you can actually work
The steps above, ordered for your situation in Washington, with the deadlines on a calendar, your documents attached to the step that needs them, and an expense ledger for everything the estate owes you back. The plan itself is free.
Every figure on this page links to the statute or court source it came from and shows the date we last read it. All 3 citations on this page have been read against the primary statute text.
The full registry, including everything we have not confirmed, is published at Where the state information comes from. If the court or your attorney gave you a different date, please tell us at [email protected] — it is the fastest way to get it fixed for the next executor.