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 support@hellosunset.com.
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
Who can use Sunset?
Any family member, executor, 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.
If someone else has been appointed by court or will, to manage the probate process, we’ll need a waiver from them. We can generate that waiver and automatically send for signatures if requested.
Will the financial institutions be notified when Sunset searches for the assets?
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 notified after a request for closure and transfer has been made by you.
Am I responsible for their debts?
No in most cases. If the deceased was solely responsible for the debt and it was not backed by a physical asset, such as a home or vehicle, it can often get charged off entirely.
If it was a joint credit card or loan, 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.
Do I need a lawyer if I use Sunset? What about probate documents?
In most cases, no. 98% of estates don’t require a probate lawyer. You can use our software to generate and sometimes file probate documents in every county nationwide, often avoiding legal fees altogether.
We generate county-specific probate forms, provide quick online notarization, and guide you through any assisted filings if required.
If your case is unusually complex, our team can guide you through the steps and connect you with additional resources if needed.
What is an estate bank account? Who controls it?
It’s a special 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.
After set up, you control the estate bank account. We simply help you set it up and keep your records organized. You can pay bills, taxes, and finally distribute the funds to the 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?
Your estate bank account gives you access to both physical and virtual debit cards you can use to pay expenses related to settling 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.
Anything that helps you settle your loved one’s affairs is an estate expense. 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.
How much does Sunset cost?
Nothing. Sunset never charges families or takes a percentage of the estate.
All of our tools are free to use, 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 fee, based on interest generated from estate bank accounts. That way, all the deceased’s assets go to the beneficiaries and heirs.
How does Sunset protect against fraud or identity theft?
We run authentication on both the deceased and the executor to prevent unauthorized access, account fraud, or new accounts being opened in the decedent’s name.
What security measures does Sunset have?
Sunset is SOC 2 Type II certified, meaning 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.
How long does the process take, and can I move at my own pace?
You’ll locate most assets and liabilities within 1 business day of signup, some bank accounts take up to two weeks to confirm balance.
If you request help to close and transfer an account, we’ll start the process immediately. Some financial institutions are very quick to respond and transfer, unfortunately most are not and the process can take a few weeks.
You stay in control the whole time and nothing ever moves forward without your approval.
