Kansas Executor & Trustee Checklist
You've been named executor or trustee in Kansas — and probably handed no instructions. This is the ordered list of what to do, in the sequence Kansas expects it, with the deadlines and terminology that are specific to this state. Work down it, check things off, and nothing important slips.
- Who administers the estate
- Executor (testate) or administrator (intestate); 'personal representative' is the statutory umbrella term (K.S.A. 59-102)
- Court
- District Court of the county of residence — Kansas has no separate probate courts (merged into district courts in 1977)
- Appointment document
- Letters Testamentary (will) or Letters of Administration (no will)
- Creditor claim window
- 4 months from first publication (with an absolute 6-month-from-death bar to open the estate at all)
- Inventory deadline
- Verified inventory with date-of-death values due within 30 days after letters issue
- Trustee notice deadline
- 60 days
- State death tax
- No Kansas estate tax and no inheritance tax
If you're the Executor / Personal Representative
The probate track — administering the estate through the District Court of the county of residence — Kansas has no separate probate courts (merged into district courts in 1977).
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This is the document that proves you have authority to act as Executor (testate) or administrator (intestate); 'personal representative' is the statutory umbrella term (K.S.A. 59-102).
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Publish once a week for 3 consecutive weeks (K.S.A. 59-2209/59-709). Known/reasonably ascertainable creditors get actual notice; barred at the later of the 4-month bar or 30 days after actual notice. All claims barred unless a petition is filed within 6 months of death (K.S.A. 59-2239).
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Verified inventory with date-of-death values due within 30 days after letters issue (K.S.A. 59-1201), filed with the district court.
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Within 7 days after first published notice of hearing, the petitioner mails notice (and the will) to each known heir, devisee, and legatee (K.S.A. 59-2209). No separate UPC 30-day information notice.
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Get an EIN for the estate from the IRS (free at irs.gov, ~10 minutes) — the estate is its own taxpayer and you'll need it before a bank will open an account.
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Open a dedicated estate bank account — every dollar in or out flows through it; commingling estate money with your own is the fastest way to get into trouble.
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Keep receipts and records of every transaction and decision — not just what you did, but why; your final accounting is built from this and it's your protection if a choice is ever questioned.
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Pay valid claims and taxes before distributing anything, in the statutory order — paying family first can leave you personally liable. No Kansas estate tax and no inheritance tax.
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Collect a signed receipt or release from every beneficiary when you distribute.
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Supervised estates close by petition for final settlement and accounting (K.S.A. 59-2247), then a decree of final settlement and discharge. Practically can't close before the 4-month creditor window expires.
Celestial Divide keeps the inventory, valuations, creditor claims, and beneficiary distributions organized in one place — so nothing on this checklist slips through the cracks.
14 days, no credit card
If you're the Trustee
The trust track — administering a trust outside of probate.
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Locate and read the entire trust document, including any amendments and restatements — your powers, limits, and timelines live there.
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60 days — Kansas UTC (K.S.A. 58a-813(b)): within 60 days after a formerly revocable trust becomes irrevocable, notify qualified beneficiaries.
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Publish once a week for 3 consecutive weeks (K.S.A. 59-2209/59-709). Known/reasonably ascertainable creditors get actual notice; barred at the later of the 4-month bar or 30 days after actual notice. All claims barred unless a petition is filed within 6 months of death (K.S.A. 59-2239).
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Get an EIN for the trust from the IRS — the trust becomes irrevocable at death and files its own returns from that point.
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Retitle and gather the trust assets; hunt down anything never moved into the trust — it may need probate.
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Keep trust assets separate from your own, always — separate accounts, separate records, no exceptions.
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Document every decision, valuation, and distribution as you go.
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Account to the beneficiaries at least annually and at termination.
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Distribute according to the terms of the trust and collect signed receipts and releases.
Good to know in Kansas
Small-estate affidavit for personal property when total probate assets ≤ $75,000 (K.S.A. 59-1507b; raised from $40,000 in 2023). Simplified Estates Act and informal administration also available.
Supervised estates close by petition for final settlement and accounting (K.S.A. 59-2247), then a decree of final settlement and discharge. Practically can't close before the 4-month creditor window expires.
Hard 6-month deadline: a will is ineffective to pass property unless a probate petition is filed within 6 months of death (K.S.A. 59-617), and creditors lose all claims if no estate is opened in the same 6 months — one of the shortest windows in the country.
Sources — investigate further
The steps above are drawn from Kansas's own statutes and courts. To dig deeper:
We'll email you a copy so it's always one click away. No spam — just the checklist and the occasional estate-settlement tip.
Celestial Divide keeps the inventory, valuations, creditor claims, and beneficiary distributions organized in one place — so nothing on this checklist slips through the cracks.
14 days, no credit card
General information, not legal advice. Laws change and county practice varies. When in doubt, talk to a probate attorney licensed in the relevant state.