The short answer
Find the papers the estate and the taxes still need, and keep those safe. Shred papers with personal numbers once nobody needs them. You can give the rest time.
Photos and letters can wait in boxes, somewhere cool and dry, until you're ready to look. Scanning them later lets anyone who wants a copy have one.
This chapter explains how things usually work in the United States. It is not legal, tax or financial advice, and the rules where you live may differ. Before you act on anything here, check it with one of the people named at the end of the chapter.
What to do
- Ask the executor and any tax preparer which papers they need, and box those together.
- Tell the executor or the probate court about any original will you find.
- Set aside anything that looks like a savings bond.
- Shred papers with Social Security or account numbers once no one needs them.
- Store photos and letters flat, on a shelf, somewhere cool and dry.
- Scan the photos someone has asked for, and keep a copy somewhere else.
- Leave the rest for later.
What can wait
- Reading every letter.
- Deciding who keeps the originals.
- Scanning everything. You can start with what someone has asked for.
- Sorting the personal papers. They have no deadline.
Who can help
The executor and a tax preparer can say which papers still matter, and for how long. For a will, ask the probate court in the county where your parent lived.
For moldy, fragile or valuable items, a conservator can help. A local library or archive may be able to advise on scanning.
The rules, phone numbers and web addresses in this book were checked against the agencies’, courts’ and organizations’ own pages in October 2026. Where a rule differs by state, the book names one state as an example. Check anything you rely on with the office itself.
From Book 4: Their House
This page has the short answer and the closing lists from chapter 9. The full chapter explains, in plain words, what exists, what to ask, and who can answer. The book covers months 3 to 15 after the death.
Questions near this one
Other questions on related subjects, from this book and the others.
- How do I find the will and the papers, and what if I can't? Book 1, The First Month
- What can wait until after the funeral? Book 1, The First Month
- How do I clear a house in stages? Book 4, Their House
- What do I do about the house, pets, car and mail right now? Book 1, The First Month
Hear when Their House is out
A short note when each book is out. Five or six emails a year at most. You can unsubscribe whenever you like.