For Attorneys
Sunset searches the IRS, credit bureaus, and banking databases to create a financial picture
The estate inventory bottleneck
Sunset gives your clients the complete picture
Your clients have a duty to marshal and account for estate assets, and most of them start with a stack of unopened mail and a rough idea of where their deceased banked. With Sunset you can open the matter with a documented inventory already in hand: bank accounts, retirement plans, brokerage accounts, real property, vehicles, business interests, life insurance, and debts, each traced back to an authoritative source like the IRS, the credit bureaus, or a national banking database.
With the estate inventory in hand from the start, you can decide the probate path on real numbers, file an inventory you are confident in, and stop absorbing the cost of client calls that open with "I think there might be another account somewhere."
Sunset also handles what comes after discovery
Once you have settled on the right probate path, your client can use Sunset to open an FDIC insured estate or trust bank account, notify institutions, close and transfer accounts, and distribute funds to beneficiaries. Statements and transaction history stay in one place, which makes the final accounting straightforward.
Want to offer Sunset to your clients? Contact us at [email protected] to learn about availability, pricing, and how to get started.
On your own
With Sunset
Client spends months sorting mail and calling banks
Search IRS, credit bureaus, and banking databases automatically
90%+ of statements are paperless and inaccessible
Most assets found within 1 business day
Unknown accounts go undiscovered or get escheated
Organized report with accounts, property, and debts
Repeated back-and-forth with incomplete information
Client approves the report — you start filing immediately
Inventory deadline looms with no confidence it's complete
Comprehensive results within 7–14 days
01 Attorney Setup
Upload documents and invite your client
Upload the death certificate, any probate filings already on record, and the will or trust if one exists. Add whatever context you have: full legal name and any former names, date of death, Social Security number, the last known address along with prior addresses, and any accounts the family already knows about. More detail up front means fewer gaps in the results.
When the file is ready, invite your client. They confirm their identity, review what you entered, and authorize the search. It takes a few minutes and there is nothing for them to install.
Authority is verified before anything runs. Sunset checks the requester's identity and their standing to act for the estate, which is the same question every institution will ask later.
Step by Step
"I did things when I had time. First the bank account, then the car title a few weeks later. It felt manageable."
Easy Process
"Step by step made it easy to get things done without feeling buried."
Stress Free
"Simple and stress free from start to finish. Even the life insurance claim."
Guided the Whole Way
"They made a hard process simple and stress free. It felt like they were walking me through step by step."
Felt Protected
"I felt safe the whole time. They kept an eye on things for fraud so I could focus on selling the house and being with my kids."
Peace of Mind
"Nothing happened unless I said so. Knowing my dad’s retirement money was safe until I was ready gave me peace of mind."
Felt Cared For
"I felt cared for the whole way. Even when we had to handle my dad’s small business account."
Surprising Finds
"I found all of my grandma’s accounts in just a couple days, including one we didn’t even know about. I cried when I realized how much work it was going to take, but Sunset made it quick and easy."
Clear Next Steps
"Clear steps, no stress. I always knew what came next, even for life insurance and car titles."
Made It Doable
"Made something complicated, like probate papers, feel doable and not so scary."
Less Scary
"They made the hard parts less scary. I just answered a few questions and felt guided."
02 Sunset Search
Sunset searches government and financial databases
Once your client authorizes the search, Sunset queries the IRS and the Social Security Administration, all three credit bureaus, national banking databases, LexisNexis, DMV records, and unclaimed property databases in every state.
Results come back progressively. Tax and credit data usually returns within hours. Bank confirmations take 7 to 14 days because each one is verified institution by institution. You and your client both watch results arrive instead of waiting on a single delivery at the end.
Institutions are not told of the death during the search, and the verification we do with them does not disclose it. Life insurance is the one exception, since a claim cannot be filed without notice. Nothing is closed, frozen, or transferred until your client asks for it.
03 Estate Asset Review
You and your client both receive a detailed inventory
Both of you receive an organized report covering bank accounts, retirement accounts, brokerage and investment accounts, life insurance policies, real property, vehicles, business interests, and outstanding debts, with account types, estimated balances, account numbers, and title information for real estate.
The report is built to be used rather than skimmed. Figures carry straight into a court inventory or an estate accounting, and every line notes where the information came from so you can document how you got there.
Your client can act on the same report: open the estate account, request closures and transfers, file life insurance claims, and handle title work on vehicles and property. You stay on the file and can see what has moved without chasing anyone for a status update.
Data sources & process
How we find accounts and assets
Sunset is SOC 2 Type II certified with annual independent audits, third-party penetration testing, and encrypted API connections.
Government records
Approved API partner of the IRS and Social Security Administration. We retrieve tax filings, 1099s, W-2s, and benefit records to identify where the deceased held accounts and earned income.
Banking databases
Approved API partner of national banking networks and LexisNexis, covering checking, savings, CDs, and money market accounts at 2,500+ financial institutions nationwide.
Credit bureaus
Approved API partner of Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. We pull full credit history to identify creditor relationships, outstanding debts, loans, and institutional connections.
Frequently asked questions
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.
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.
How quickly will I see results?
5 to 14 days.
We'll email you as soon as your requested searches are complete, and you can log in to review and close any discovered accounts when you're ready.
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 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.
What is an estate bank account? Who controls it?
An 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 bank 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.
How much does Sunset cost?
Sunset Free is free for families settling an estate. Sunset Pro, our paid product for probate attorneys, licensed fiduciaries, trustees, and aftercare specialists, starts at $500 per asset search, with monthly subscription plans available for Solo Practitioners, Small Firms, and Large Firms.
For families, Sunset never charges a fee or takes a percentage of the estate. All family-facing tools are free, including search and discovery, probate document generation, account closure, asset transfer, and estate bank account setup. No upfront fees. No subscriptions. No deductions from the inheritance.
Our revenue from the family side comes from bank partners. They pay us a referral fee when assets transfer to receiving institutions, and we share in the interest while funds sit in the estate bank account. Sunset Pro subscriptions from professionals are how we sustain the rest of the product. All of the deceased's assets go to the beneficiaries and heirs.
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.
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