What to Do When Someone Dies in California
A step-by-step guide for the first days and weeks after losing a loved one. Take your time - most of these don't need to happen immediately.
Use this timeline to handle immediate post-death tasks in the right order before you move into probate, asset transfer, or executor paperwork.
If You Are the Named Executor in California
In plain terms: if you are named to handle the estate, there is one time-sensitive task in the first 30 days. Lodge the original will with the county Superior Court. Everything else can follow at a steadier pace. The details below explain exactly how.
If you are the named executor of a California estate, the procedural clock starts at death. Probate Code § 8200 requires you to lodge the original will with the Superior Court of the county where the decedent lived within 30 days. The first-steps below are written for that role; the family-first timeline below covers immediate practical tasks that overlap with the executor role.
- Lodge the original will with the Superior Court within 30 days
California Probate Code § 8200 requires the person in possession of the original will to deliver it to the clerk of the Superior Court in the county where the decedent lived within 30 days of death. This is a standalone deadline that runs even if formal probate is not yet open.
Statute: Cal. Probate Code § 8200
- Order 10–15 certified death certificates
California financial institutions, title-transfer agencies, and the probate court each typically require their own original. Order through the funeral home or directly from the California Department of Public Health Vital Records.
- Secure the deceased’s property and digital assets
Lock the home, change the mailbox forward, secure the vehicle, freeze credit on the decedent’s SSN, and document property condition before anything is moved. This protects the estate from depreciation and theft claims.
- Petition for Probate (Form DE-111) and request Letters Testamentary
File the Petition for Probate (DE-111), the Notice of Petition to Administer Estate (DE-121), and supporting documents with the Superior Court. Once granted, the court issues Letters Testamentary (DE-150), the document banks and title agencies require to act on behalf of the estate.
Statute: Cal. Probate Code § 8000 et seq.
- Notify financial institutions and request frozen statements
Banks, brokerages, and retirement custodians each have a death-notification process. Submit a certified death certificate and request statements as of date-of-death valuation. These statements feed the Inventory and Appraisal (Form DE-160) that the court requires once Letters issue.
Grief is exhausting. It's okay to ask for help, take breaks, and handle things one step at a time.
Timeline of Tasks
Start with the immediate tasks. Open each later phase as you reach it.
First 24-48 Hours
First Week
First Month
Ongoing (Weeks to Months)
Who to Notify
Documents to Gather
Death Certificates
Many estates start with 10-15 certified copies because banks, insurers, property-transfer contacts, and agencies may ask for them.
How to get death certificates →Will & Trust Documents
Look in safe deposit boxes, home safes, attorney files, and records folders.
Probate guide →Financial Statements
Bank statements, investment accounts, retirement accounts, and recent tax returns.
Asset transfer guide →What Comes Next?
After the first 30 days, you may need to start probate or transfer assets. Use the California assessment to sort what may apply.
More California Resources
Explore the rest of the California probate hub.