What an executor actually has to do in Colorado probate
A twelve-month to-do list for the person who said yes without knowing what it meant.
You said yes years ago. Now it's real. Here is roughly what the next twelve months look like for a personal representative (Colorado's word for executor) in a typical estate.
Weeks 1–4
Find the original will. Order death certificates — more than you think. Open the probate case in the district court and get your Letters, the document that proves you're in charge. Notify the people named in the will and the heirs who would inherit without one.
Months 1–3
Open an estate bank account. Gather and value everything — accounts, the house, the car, the stuff. Publish a notice to creditors in a newspaper; they then have four months to make claims. File the inventory with the court.
Months 3–9
Pay valid debts and the final bills. File the final personal tax return and, if needed, an estate return. Sell what needs selling. Keep every receipt — you will account for all of it.
Months 9–12
Prepare the final accounting, distribute what's left according to the will, get receipts from the beneficiaries, and close the estate with the court.
What people underestimate: the paperwork is manageable; the family is the hard part. We can do as much or as little of this as you want, hourly, with an estimate first.