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What happens, in what order

Settling an estate is a sequence, not a pile. Most of the stress comes from trying to do everything at once. Here is the usual order, who helps with each step, and what you can leave for later.

1. The first two weeks

   Order several certified copies of the death certificate (banks, insurers and the court will each want one). Secure the home, forward the mail, and don't throw anything away yet. If there's a will, find it — it often lives in a desk, a safe, or with the attorney who wrote it.

   No professional needed yet. Breathe.

2. Find the Probate Court for the town

   Connecticut's Probate Courts are organized by district, and the court for the person's town handles the estate. The court's website has a locator, the forms, and user guides written for people doing this for the first time. The will needs to be delivered to the court promptly after the death, whether or not a full probate is needed.

   Connecticut Probate Courts (official) →

3. Decide whether you need an attorney

   Small, simple estates without real estate can often be handled with the court's help alone. Estates with a house, debts, a business, or any family disagreement usually go better with an attorney. Many offer a free first call; our guide has the questions to ask.

   Find probate attorneys by county → · Questions to ask

4. Find out what's there, and what it's worth

   The court will want an inventory of the estate's assets. For ordinary household contents a reasonable estimate is fine. For antiques, art, jewelry, collections — or anything heirs might disagree about — a written appraisal protects you. Appraisers value; they don't buy.

   Find appraisers by county → · When you need one

5. Decide what happens to the belongings

   Family takes what it wants first. Then, if there's enough of value, an estate sale company sells the rest for a share of the proceeds. What's left — or everything, if there's little to sell — goes to a cleanout crew that donates and recycles what it can. Do these in that order; a cleanout is fast and can't be undone.

   Estate sale companies → · Cleanout crews →

6. Sell the home

   Selling a home out of an estate has extra steps: the executor signs, the court may need to approve, and the disclosures work differently when the seller never lived there. Agents who do this regularly know the paperwork and the timing — and they'll tell you honestly whether to sell as-is or fix it up first.

   Find estate realtors by county → · Choosing one

7. Close the estate

   After the creditor period passes and the bills, taxes and fees are paid, the fiduciary files a final accounting with the court and distributes what remains. Most Connecticut estates take a year or more start to finish. That's normal, not a sign something's wrong.

This page is general information for Connecticut, not legal advice. Deadlines, thresholds and procedures come from the Probate Court, and change; always confirm with the court or an attorney.