Estate creditor claim deadlines
Korea lets a creditor ask the court to keep the estate separate from the heir's own property. US law needs no such petition - the estate is already a separate entity administered by a personal representative, and heirs do not take on the decedent's debts personally. What creditors face instead is a short window to present claims against that estate, and this tool measures it.
Legal basis: claim periods come from each state's probate code. California allows four months after letters issue (Cal. Prob. Code §9100) inside a one-year outside bar measured from death (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §366.2). The Uniform Probate Code bars claims one year after the decedent's death (UPC §3-803) with a shorter period running from published notice (UPC §3-801). Reviewed as of September 2026; enter the periods your state uses.
Missing the window generally bars the claim against estate assets entirely, which is why creditors watch the published notice to creditors closely.
This calculator is for reference only and is not legal advice. Consult a licensed attorney in your state about your specific claim.
Frequently Asked Questions
Generally no. Debts are paid out of the estate before anything is distributed, and heirs are not personally liable simply for inheriting. Community property rules and jointly signed obligations are separate questions.
Whichever falls first. Many states run a short claim period from the date letters issue and layer an outside bar measured from the date of death, so a claim has to clear both.