Your Estate Guide — EstateMate

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Notify SSA — Paid Feature

The Notify SSA feature is included in the Full Estate Hub. It lets you:

Save deceased and requestor info in one place
Store a record of the SSA notification in your Document Vault
Access SSA phone numbers, survivor benefit links, and step-by-step guidance

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Mass Notify Banks — Paid Feature

The Mass Notify Banks feature is included in the Full Estate Hub. It gives you:

A pre-filled notification letter for all institutions
A copy-to-clipboard email template, personalized for each institution
A categorized checklist of banks, credit cards, investments, insurance, credit bureaus, and utilities
Website, phone, and email links for each institution — with notes on what each requires
Saves letter and checklist to your Document Vault automatically

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Probate Calculator — Paid Feature

The Probate Calculator is included in the Full Estate Hub. It gives you:

State-specific small estate thresholds for 10+ states
Asset-by-asset probate vs. non-probate classification
Instant result: "Probate likely needed" or "likely NOT needed"
Guided Small Estate Affidavit path with your state's official form
Guided Formal Probate path with step-by-step instructions
Saves results and checklist to your Document Vault

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Find the Will Guide — Paid Feature

The Find the Will guided workflow is included in the Full Estate Hub. It gives you:

A directory of probate courts for 27 major counties with phone, address, and portal links
Step-by-step online search instructions for each court's portal
A pre-written calling script, personalized with the deceased's name
A list of alternative Will registries and search resources if no Will is found
Saves a Will search log to your Document Vault automatically

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Order Death Certificate Online

We'll guide you to the correct service for your state

💡 Order 10–15 certified copies. Banks, courts, agencies, and insurance companies each need an original — photocopies are not accepted.

State where death occurred

What you need to order

Deceased's full name
Date of death
Place of death (city, county, state)
Your name and contact information
Government-issued photo ID
Reason for request (estate administration)
Payment method (credit card or check)

Per copy fee

—

Processing time

—

Select a state above to see fees, timing, and ordering links.

Order via VitalChek → 🏛 Official state vital records page

📞 Order by phone: —

What if I find debt?

The short answer

In most cases, you are not personally responsible for the deceased's debts. The estate pays what it owes from its own assets. What's left over goes to the heirs. If the estate doesn't have enough to cover everything, creditors generally lose out — not you.

How estate debts are paid

1 Funeral and burial expenses
2 Estate administration costs (court fees, attorney fees)
3 Outstanding taxes (federal, state, property)
4 Secured debts (mortgage, car loan — tied to the asset)
5 Unsecured debts (credit cards, medical bills)
6 Whatever remains — distributed to heirs

When you ARE personally responsible These situations create personal liability — even if you didn't take on the debt yourself:

You were a joint account holder on the debt
You co-signed a loan with the deceased
You live in a community property state and you were married to the deceased

What to do right now

Don't pay any creditor bills from your personal funds
Keep records of any debt notices or letters you receive
Wait until the estate is formally opened before responding to creditors
If a creditor calls, say "This matter is being handled through the estate — please send written notice" and hang up

If debts exceed assets (insolvent estate) This is when you need a probate attorney. An insolvent estate has its own rules about which creditors get paid and in what order. Getting this wrong can create real problems.

Find an Estate Attorney

Your state bar's referral service connects you with vetted local attorneys — most offer a free or low-cost initial consultation.

EstateMate is a self-help guide and does not endorse any specific attorney or firm. Referral links go to official state bar associations and legal directories. · Report a broken link