The three ways to settle an estate — and what each really costs
Most people think the choice is hire a lawyer or do it all yourself. There's a third way: keep the control and the savings of doing it yourself, without the 500 hours and the risk.
Hire a probate attorney
Hands-off — but you pay full lawyer rates.
- A licensed attorney handles the legal filings
- Expensive — in California, statutory fees run $13k–$23k+; elsewhere $250–$400/hour
- Most of the bill is administration a lawyer doesn't need to do
- You're still the one chasing documents and signatures
Do it all yourself
Free — but it's 500+ hours, alone.
- No professional fees
- 500+ hours of work spread across a year
- No map and no support; easy to miss a deadline or a step
- A mistake can cost far more than the money you saved
Kindred Estate
Done for you, for one flat fee.
- A dedicated coordinator does the administration — start to finish
- One flat fee, with clear estate-payment timing — not lawyer hourly rates
- You stay the executor and fully in control
- If something looks like it needs a lawyer, we flag it — you bring in an attorney of your choosing
It's not one big task. It's 113+ small ones.
Settling an estate can take 500+ hours over a year — because the work is scattered across 12different areas, each with its own offices, deadlines, and paperwork. Here's the kind of thing that lands on the person in charge.
County & government offices
14 tasks
- Order certified death certificates — and figure out how many you'll need
- Contact the county recorder for deed records
- Pull property tax bills and parcel records
- Ask the assessor about ownership and assessed value
- Check the treasurer for unpaid property taxes
- Check whether probate has already been opened
- Get case numbers, court dates, and filed-document copies
- Track every deadline buried in court notices
- Sort out notary requirements for forms
- Handle DMV title-transfer questions for vehicles
- Notify Social Security — and confirm whether payments must be returned
- Contact Medicare / Medicaid if benefits or claims are involved
- Contact the VA for burial, survivor, or pension benefits
- Locate military discharge documents if needed
Property & housing
14 tasks
- Find the deed and confirm how title is held
- Locate the mortgage statement and contact the servicer
- Keep the mortgage current while the estate is sorted out
- Find homeowners insurance and notify the carrier
- Keep the home insured if it's sitting vacant
- Keep utilities on so the house doesn't go dark
- Change mailing addresses for property bills
- Secure the property — locks, keys, alarm codes
- Handle leaks, urgent repairs, lawn, or code issues
- Inventory and photograph valuable personal property
- Arrange cleanout, storage, donation, or sale of belongings
- Coordinate a real estate agent if the family may sell
- Gather evidence for date-of-death value
- Collect repair, appraisal, and maintenance records
Bank & financial accounts
12 tasks
- Identify every bank and credit-union account
- Track down statements and account numbers
- Figure out joint owners or named beneficiaries
- Contact each bank about next documentation steps
- Stop automatic payments where appropriate
- Track deposits that arrive after death
- Track withdrawals and estate expenses
- Locate safe-deposit-box information
- Hunt down online-only accounts
- Keep an estate transaction ledger
- Separate estate expenses from family expenses
- Save receipts for reimbursements
Pensions, retirement & benefits
10 tasks
- Search for old or forgotten pensions
- Contact current and former employers
- Check union benefits
- Pull 401(k), IRA, 403(b), and pension statements
- Locate beneficiary forms
- Contact plan administrators
- Ask whether survivor benefits exist
- Ask whether a final pension payment must be returned
- Check annuities and employer life insurance
- Look for unclaimed retirement or insurance assets
Insurance
7 tasks
- Search for life insurance policies
- Contact insurance agents and employer benefits departments
- File life-insurance claim forms
- Gather death certificate and beneficiary documents
- Review homeowners, auto, and health policies
- Cancel or adjust policies after property/vehicle decisions
- Track refunds from canceled policies
Debts, bills & creditors
9 tasks
- Identify credit cards, loans, and medical bills
- Identify funeral, utility, and subscription bills
- Stop autopay charges
- Work out which bills are the estate's obligation
- Avoid paying the wrong bills from the wrong account
- Organize creditor mail and collection letters
- Prepare a debt list for attorney review
- Watch for unknown or surprise claims
- Track reimbursements paid by family members
Taxes & accounting support
10 tasks
- Gather prior tax returns
- Find W-2s, 1099s, brokerage statements, and K-1s
- Pull together final income-tax information
- Pull together estate income-tax info if needed
- Track income received after death
- Track deductible estate expenses
- Gather charitable-donation and home-sale records
- Prepare a clean package for the CPA
- Keep a ledger of money in and money out
- Keep backup docs for every major transaction
Vehicles & titled property
6 tasks
- Find vehicle titles and check registration
- Check for auto loans and notify the insurer
- Coordinate DMV transfer or sale steps
- Locate boats, trailers, motorcycles, RVs, or mobile homes
- Find title documents for non-car assets
- Arrange storage, insurance, or sale
Digital, mail & household accounts
8 tasks
- Forward and sort through months of mail
- Spot recurring bills hidden in mail and email
- Close or transfer utilities
- Cancel phone, internet, cable, and streaming
- Close online-shopping accounts where appropriate
- Find password managers or account lists
- Preserve access to important email/cloud when allowed
- Cancel memberships and professional dues, and chase refunds
Family coordination
8 tasks
- Identify heirs and beneficiaries
- Collect everyone's addresses, phones, and emails
- Keep siblings and family updated
- Track who paid for what
- Defuse disagreements before they grow
- Organize document sharing and signatures
- Schedule calls with attorney, CPA, real estate agent, appraiser
- Keep one source of truth so no one's working from old facts
Professional handoffs
8 tasks
- Prepare an organized packet for the probate attorney
- Prepare an organized packet for the CPA
- Prepare property facts for a real estate agent
- Prepare documents for an appraiser
- Gather statements for a financial advisor
- Track what each professional still needs
- Follow up on missing documents
- Keep everyone informed about who's waiting on whom
Records & proof
7 tasks
- Build an asset list, a debt list, and a contact list
- Build a document checklist
- Keep copies of every death certificate used
- Keep copies of letters sent and bills paid
- Keep copies of refunds, account closures, and property expenses
- Keep copies of professional invoices
- Keep a timeline of every major action
And that's before a single court form.
Not every estate needs every item — but someone has to work out which ones do, and then actually do them, while grieving. That's the administrative weight Kindred lifts: we organize the work, keep it moving, and flag what may belong with an attorney, CPA, appraiser, or real estate agent — for you to decide.
See your numbers
Pick your state, estate value, and scope — we'll show a full-service firm's cost next to Kindred plus an independent attorney. The lawyer is always included.
Pick a state to see your estimate.
The math is different where you are
Probate cost and procedure vary by state — California is the most expensive, others are far simpler. Start with yours.
Kindred Estate is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice, and nothing here is a recommendation about whether to hire an attorney. Figures are illustrative examples, not quotes, and vary by estate. We handle administration; you choose any attorney and pay them directly.
You don't have to carry this alone.
Tell us about the estate on a free, no-obligation call. We'll map out exactly what needs to happen — and how we'd take it off your plate.
Start with fixed-fee Estate Setup, then choose the right package.
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