Georgia routes nearly everything through the county probate court, so working out which county you are dealing with is the first useful step.
This page provides general information to help you get organized. It is not legal, medical, financial or mental-health advice. Requirements can depend on the estate and the circumstances, so consider confirming anything important with the relevant agency or a qualified professional.
Sleep, food, childcare, pets, medication. Nothing on any checklist matters more in the first day, and almost no paperwork is genuinely urgent.
A will, insurance policies, deeds, titles, recent statements, military discharge papers. Gathering them in one place removes most of the later scrambling.
Usually a named executor or personal representative, or a surviving spouse. Knowing who signs saves weeks of stalled requests.
Most organizations want a certified copy, not a photocopy. Ordering the right number at once is cheaper and faster than going back.
Social Security, employers, pensions, insurers, banks, utilities, landlords. Some can wait weeks. A short list has real deadlines.
Lock an empty home, redirect mail, stop autopay where it makes sense, and note which phones and email accounts hold everything else.
One list, ordered by what actually needs attention this week, shared with the people helping you so nothing is done twice.
Requirements can depend on the estate and the circumstances. Consider confirming the applicable process with the relevant state agency or a qualified professional.
The Georgia Department of Public Health State Office of Vital Records issues certified copies, and county vital records offices can usually issue them for deaths that occurred in that county.
Certified copies are restricted to the immediate family and legal representatives. Bring identification and be ready to state your relationship.
State office for certified death certificates, with county office directory.
Georgia uses the term executor when a will names one and administrator when the court appoints one, and refers to both as the personal representative. Petitions are filed in the probate court of the county where the person lived.
Georgia also allows a no-administration-necessary petition when all heirs agree and there are no unpaid debts, which can close a simple estate quickly.
Standard forms and contact details for each county probate court.
Free plain-language guidance for families and executors.
The Georgia Department of Revenue holds unclaimed accounts, refunds and insurance proceeds. Heirs and personal representatives can claim on behalf of an estate.
Official state search and claim process.
Georgia's Aging and Disability Resource Connection is the single entry point for benefits counselling, caregiver support and home-care referrals, reachable at 1-866-552-4464.
211 covers the state through United Way partners and is the fastest route to utility help, food assistance and counselling referrals.
Statewide aging and caregiver programs, including the ADRC line.
Community-resource referrals across the state.
The Georgia Department of Veterans Service has field offices statewide that help survivors file claims at no cost, and Georgia National Cemetery in Canton serves much of the state.
Free claims assistance for veterans and survivors.
Bring your Georgia questions: which county court applies, or how year's support fits with everything else.
Every step from the first 72 hours to the first two months, free to download.
OpenFulton and DeKalb county offices and local starting points.
OpenOpeners, questions and boundaries for the conversation before anything happens.
OpenThis page provides general information to help you get organized. It is not legal, medical, financial or mental-health advice. Requirements can depend on the estate and the circumstances, so consider confirming anything important with the relevant agency or a qualified professional.