Accouncement
Sunset now generates probate documents for all 50 states and 3,000+ counties in minutes. Guided, simple, and free for families.
December 17, 2025
One of the biggest obstacles families face when settling an estate isn't finding the accounts — it's getting the legal authority to close them. That means probate documents: letters of administration, letters testamentary, or small estate affidavits, depending on the state, the county, and the size of the estate. Getting these right is critical, and getting them wrong means delays, rejections, and often unnecessary legal fees.
Today, we're launching a probate document tool that takes care of this entirely within Sunset.
TurboTax, but for Probate
The probate process is complicated and fact-dependent. Every state has different rules. Every county has different forms. The requirements change based on the size of the estate, whether there's a will, and who the heirs are. For many families, this process is more manageable than they think — but figuring out where to start and which forms to use is where most people get stuck.
Sunset's probate tool works the way TurboTax works for taxes: it guides you through a series of questions, determines exactly what documents you need based on your specific state and county requirements, and generates them for you — ready to file. What used to take weeks of research and potentially hundreds or thousands of dollars in legal fees now takes minutes.
Only Possible Because of Sunset's Financial Search
Here's what makes this different from any other document preparation tool: the probate process requires a complete picture of the estate — every asset, every debt, every balance. Without that information, you can't determine which probate path applies, whether the estate qualifies as a small estate, or what values to report on the forms. Most families spend weeks or months trying to piece that picture together manually.
Sunset already has it. Because our platform searches across 600+ financial institutions to identify bank accounts, retirement funds, insurance policies, debts, and more — complete with account numbers and current balances — we can feed that information directly into the probate workflow. The financial search and the legal documents work together as a single process. That's something no other tool can do, because no other tool has the data.
What We Generate
Depending on your situation, Sunset will prepare the right document for your case: letters testamentary if there's a will and you've been named executor, letters of administration if there's no will or no named executor, or a small estate affidavit if the estate qualifies under your state's threshold. Each document is tailored to the specific requirements of your county — across all 50 states and all 3,000+ counties in the United States.
Every document comes with clear, step-by-step instructions for what to do next, so you're never left wondering where to file or what comes after.
Online Notarization in Under 5 Minutes
Many probate documents require notarization. Sunset includes access to online notarization so you can get documents notarized from home in less than five minutes — no need to find a notary, schedule an appointment, or drive across town.
The Full Estate Settlement Workflow
This launch brings everything full circle. Sunset finds the accounts, gives you the complete financial picture, generates the legal documents you need based on that picture, helps you close and transfer the accounts, and provides an FDIC-insured estate bank account to receive the funds. Every step feeds into the next. That's the whole point — one platform, one process, from start to finish.
Free for Families
Like everything on Sunset, our probate document tool is completely free. No document preparation charges, no hidden costs.
For more complex or contested estates, we always recommend consulting with a probate attorney. But for the many families who just need the right documents prepared correctly, Sunset can help you get there faster.
Get Started
If you're managing the estate of a loved one and need probate documents, visit hellosunset.com to get started. It takes just a few minutes.
Questions? Reach us at [email protected].
HOW WE MAKE MONEY
We’re paid by banks, not families
Just like any bank, we make money from interest yielded while money sits in the estate bank account.
No out-of-pocket costs or fees
You never pay for anything out of pocket. Ever.
We make money on interest
No hidden costs. No surprise fees. No fine print.
You keep all your money
We never take a cut of your inheritance.
Frequently asked questions
How quickly will I see results?
Most results come fast. Here's the general timeline after your account is validated:
- Within hours: Creditors and debts, some bank accounts, property records (all 50 states), vehicle titles, and unclaimed property
- 1–2 business days: Retirement accounts (401k, IRA, pension), investment accounts (brokerage, stocks, crypto), life insurance, and business ownership. Note: these searches don't run on weekends or bank holidays.
- 7–14 days: Comprehensive bank account search with confirmed balances across all account types
Most families have 100% of assets discovered within 5–6 days.
Who can use Sunset?
Any family member, executor, administrator or personal representative responsible for managing a deceased person’s assets can use our software tool. We support asset search and probate in all 50 states and every county in the U.S.
Am I responsible for their debts?
No, the deceased was solely responsible for their debts. If a loan was backed by a physical asset, such as a home or vehicle, you have options to transfer or payoff from estate proceeds.
For a loan that was jointly held, the responsibility remains with the other person on the account, often a spouse. Sunset automatically identifies if a debt has a living responsible party, and clearly flags it.
What is an estate bank account? Who controls it?
A estate bank account is a standard bank account in the estate’s name where all funds are consolidated. You can use it to pay expenses, view a full transaction history, and eventually distribute inheritance to beneficiaries.
With one click Sunset can set up an estate back account.
You control the estate bank account. You can pay bills, taxes, and distribute the funds to heirs.
All estate bank accounts set up by Sunset are FDIC insured and protected from fraud and identity theft.
How can I pay estate expenses?
With your estate bank account you can use to pay expenses to settle your loved ones affairs. You can also reimburse yourself for expenses you may have paid out of pocket before the bank account was set up.
This includes paying for funeral expenses, accountants and attorneys if needed (most families do not need these services when working with us), realtor fees when selling property, money going towards settling debts, money spent fixing up a property before selling it, etc.
What security measures does Sunset have?
Sunset is SOC 2 Type II certified, and we hold ourselves to the highest standards in how we build our software and store data so that you’re always protected. We have in-depth fraud and identity verification measures on the deceased and the beneficiaries, and we run background checks on all employees.
What about probate documents?
You can use our software to generate and sometimes file probate documents in every county nationwide.
Online notarization is also available through Sunset.
If your case is unusually complex, or disputed, we recommend hiring experienced probate counsel.
Can Sunset help my probate attorney?
Yes. Attorneys regularly recommend Sunset to their clients. Before your attorney can guide you on the right probate path, they need a complete picture of the estate's assets and debts. Sunset generates a comprehensive Estate Asset Inventory with account numbers, balances, and more, giving your attorney exactly what they need to move forward quickly.
Will financial institution be notified of a Sunset search?
No, we do not notify any financial institutions of the death when performing our searches, except for in the case of life insurance.
Our process combines document review, data integrations, and indirect verification with financial institutions. Families usually discover most accounts within 1 day, although some bank account confirmations take up to two weeks.
Financial institutions are only notified after a request for closure and transfer has been made by you.
How much does Sunset cost?
Sunset is free to use. Sunset never charges families or takes a percentage of the estate.
All of our tools are free, including search and discovery, probate document generation, asset transfer, and more. No upfront fees, subscriptions, and deductions from the inheritance.
Our bank partners pay us a referral fee, based on interest generated from estate bank accounts. That way, all the deceased’s assets go to the beneficiaries and heirs.
