Estate Closing Checklist (Sussex County) (Sussex)

There are all sorts of forms executors, beneficiaries, and probate court clerks have to fill out and correspond with during probate and estate settlement, including affidavits, letters, petitions, summons, orders, and notices.

Estate Closing Checklist (Sussex County) (Sussex) is a commonly used form within Delaware. Here’s an overview of what the form is and means, including a breakdown of the situations when (or why) you may need to use it:

Atticus Fast Facts About Estate Closing Checklist (Sussex County) (Sussex)

Sometimes it’s tough to find a quick summary— here’s the important details you should know about Estate Closing Checklist (Sussex County) (Sussex):

• This form pertains to the State of Delaware

• The current version of this form was last revised on January 1, 1970

Government forms are not typically updated often, though when they are, it often happens rather quietly. While Atticus works hard to keep this information about Delaware’s Form Estate Closing Checklist (Sussex County) (Sussex) up to date, certain details can change from time-to-time with little or no communication.

Step 1 - Download the correct Delaware form based on the name and ID if applicable

Double check that you have both the correct form name and the correct form ID. Some Delaware probate forms can look remarkably similar, so it’s best to double, even triple-check that you’re using the right one! Keep in mind that not all States have a standardized Form ID system for their probate forms.

Step 2 - Complete the Document

Fill out all relevant fields in Form Estate Closing Checklist (Sussex County) (Sussex), take a break, and then review. Probate and estate settlement processes in DE are long enough to begin with, and making a silly error can push your timeline even farther back. No thank you!

Note: If you don’t currently know all of the answers and are accessing Form Estate Closing Checklist (Sussex County) (Sussex) online, be sure to avoid closing the browser tab and potentially losing all your progress (or use a platform like Atticus to help avoid making mistakes).

Step 3 - Have Form witnessed or notarized (if required)

Some States and situations require particular forms to be notarized. If you have been instructed to get the document notarized or see it in writing on the document, then make sure to hire a local notary. There are max notary fees in the United States that are defined and set by local law. Take a look at our full guide to notary fees to make sure you aren’t overpaying or getting ripped off.

Step 4 - Submit Estate Closing Checklist (Sussex County) (Sussex) to the relevant office

This is most often the local probate court where the decedent (person who passed away) is domiciled (permanently resides) or the institution involved with this particular form (e.g. a bank). Some offices allow you to submit forms online, other’s don’t, and we while we generally recommend going in-person to expedite the process, sometimes that simply isn’t an option.

It’s also a generally good idea to establish a positive working relationship with any probate clerk (unfortunately there’s enough people & process out there making things more difficult and unnecessarily confusing for them), so a best practice is to simply ask the probate clerk proactively exactly how and where they’d prefer you to submit all forms.

Need help getting in touch with a local probate court or identifying a domicile probate jurisdiction?

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Different probate forms or processes can require different deadlines or response times for completing the appropriate form.

While some steps in the process are bound to specific deadlines (like petitioning for probate, having to submit an inventory of assets, or filing applicable notices to creditors and beneficiaries), many probate forms or processes are not tied to a specific deadline since the scope of work can vary based on situational factors or requirements involved.

Either way, there are a bunch of practical reasons why personal representatives should work to complete each step as thoroughly and quickly as possible when completing probate in Delaware.

5 reasons you should submit this form as quickly as possible:

1. The sooner you begin, the faster Delaware can allow heirs and beneficiaries to get their share of assets subject to probate. Acting promptly can also decrease the costs & overall mental fatigue through an otherwise burdensome process.
   
   Helpful Context: What’s the Difference Between Probate and Non-Probate Assets?

2. In general, creditors of an estate usually have around 3-6 months from the time you file notice to creditors to file any claims for debt against the deceased’s assets. If they don’t, then that debt is forfeited (and more importantly, the executor won’t be held personally responsible). So doing this sooner means you have a better idea of who is owed what and ensures you won’t get a surprise collector months later.

3. Not filing a will within 30 days (on average) could mean that the probate process proceeds according to intestate laws (laws that govern what happens to someone's stuff without a will) or is subject to unnecessary supervision by the probate court. And if you aren't directly related to the deceased (a.k.a. next of kin), this could also mean you lose your inheritance.

4. It’s important to file any necessary state tax returns on behalf of the deceased or estate by the following tax season in Delaware. If you don’t, you could owe penalties and interest. This also includes any necessary federal tax returns such as Forms 1040, 1041, or even a Form 706 estate tax return.

5. If a house in the State of Delaware is left empty (or abandoned) for a while, insurance can get dicey. For example, if the house burns down and no one has been there for a year, an insurance company may get out of paying your claim.

If you’re not using Atticus to get specific forms, deadlines, and timelines for Delaware probate, then try and stay as organized as possible, pay close attention to the dates mentioned in any correspondence you have with the State’s government officials, call the local Delaware probate clerk or court for exact answers regarding Form Estate Closing Checklist (Sussex County) (Sussex), and when in doubt— consult a qualified trust & estates lawyer for that area.

Estate Closing Checklist (Sussex County) (Sussex) is one of the many probate court forms available for download through Atticus.

It may also be available through some Delaware probate court sites, such as . In order to access the latest version, be updated with any revisions, and get full instructions on how to complete each form, check out the Atticus Probate & Estate Settlement software or consider hiring a qualified legal expert locally within Delaware.

While Atticus automatically provides the latest forms, be sure to choose the correct version of Form Estate Closing Checklist (Sussex County) (Sussex) f using any other site or resource in order to avoid having to re-complete the form process and/or make another trip to the Delaware probate court office.

Estate Closing Checklist (Sussex County) (Sussex) is a .pdf, so opening it should be as simple as clicking “View Form” from within the Atticus app or by clicking the appropriate link found on any Delaware-provided government platform. Once you’ve opened the form, you should be able to directly edit the form before saving or printing.

Here’s the text, verbatim, that is found on Delaware Form Estate Closing Checklist (Sussex County) (Sussex). You can use this to get an idea of the context of the form and what type of information is needed.

Part 2 5 East Pine Street P.O. Box 743 Georgetown, DE 19947 Register of Wills Phone: (302) 855-7875 Fax: (302) 853-5871 www.sussexcountyde.gov CLOSING OF THE ESTATE CHECKLIST After the Accounting earliest date to call (as noted on the document titled “Probate Timeline and Directions,”) has passed, you may call the number above to speak to the Chief Deputy. At that time, you will review your case and schedule an appointment to file the Accounting. Please have your completed documents in front of you when you call to speak to the Chief Deputy. Prior to calling, make sure you have the below checklist of items completed and ready for review: ___ Completed Form 30 (Pages 1 and 2. Page 3 will be completed at the time of filing.) ___ Proof of each expense* listed on Form 30 (Invoices/Bills) ___ Proof of payment for each expense* listed on Form 30 (receipts, cancelled checks, bank/credit card statements) ___ All Claims filed against the Estate have been addressed. Either a Claim Satisfaction for those Claims that have been paid/satisfied, or your Claim Rejection Letter mailed both to the Claimant and our office. Please note that Estates can not be scheduled for closing if your Claim Rejection has not been on file for more than 3 months, as Claimants have 90 days from the date of rejection to file a rebuttal. ___ Completed Beneficiary List ___ Original signed Beneficiary Waiver(s) from each Beneficiary listed (or signed Notice, see below) ___ Notice for each Beneficiary who did not sign a Waiver. ___ Self-addressed, stamped envelope(s) for each Beneficiary Notice The Beneficiary Waiver cannot be filed prior to the Accounting appointment. At the Accounting appointment you must file the original signed Waiver(s) for each Beneficiary. Please note we will not accept faxed/e-mailed copies of the Waiver(s). For additional form Waivers and Notices, please visit our website noted below to print out additional documents. www.sussexcountyde.gov/register-will-forms *For examples of expenses, please refer to your sample Form 30. Revised 08/2023