Does an executor have to send beneficiaries a letter?

Some states require a formal notice. In Texas, for example, the executor must send notice to each beneficiary named in the will within 60 days after the order admitting the will (Estates Code §308.002), then file an affidavit within 90 days saying the notices went out (Estates Code §308.004). A required notice has to contain what the statute says it must contain. This letter is the plain-English introduction you send alongside it, or on its own where no formal notice is required.

What should an executor letter to beneficiaries include?

Who you are and how you were appointed, the court and case number, what an executor does, what the beneficiary should expect and roughly when, how you will keep them updated, and how to reach you. It should not promise an amount or a date for a distribution — you will not know either until the debts, expenses and taxes are known.

Should the letter say how much each beneficiary will get?

Not in the first letter. Until every asset is valued and every debt and expense is paid, any number is a guess, and a guess that turns out high is the most common source of beneficiary disputes. Send the numbers with the final accounting instead.

How should I send it?

Keep a copy and a record of when and how you sent it. Where a statute requires formal notice, it also says how the notice must be delivered — follow that for the formal notice.

Does anything I enter get saved or sent anywhere?

No. Everything stays in your browser and is gone when you close the tab — copy or print the letter before you leave.

Executor Letter to Beneficiaries Template (Free)

Fill in your details and the estate’s. The letter on the right tells each beneficiary who you are, how you were appointed, what happens next and how you will keep them informed. Copy it into an email or print it.

Free · no signup · runs in your browser — nothing you type leaves your device.

You and the estate

Sample details are filled in — replace them with yours. Blank fields show as [brackets] in the letter.

Your name

Your role

Your mailing address

Phone

Name of the person who died

Date of death

Probate court

Case number

Court document appointing you

Date it was issued

Date of this letter

The beneficiary

Beneficiary’s name

Beneficiary’s address

Did they leave a will?

How often will you send updates?

Include Explain that distributions come after debts, expenses and taxes Ask them to tell you about any assets or debts they know of Ask them to confirm their contact details Ask them not to remove anything from the home yet Enclose a copy of the will

Personal note (optional)

Your letter

Copy pastes plain text into Word, Google Docs or an email. Print opens the letter on its own page — choose “Save as PDF” as the printer to keep a copy.

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When to send it

Send it once you know the court, the case number and roughly what the next few months look like — usually soon after you are appointed. Beneficiaries who hear nothing assume the worst; a short, factual letter early prevents most of the calls you would otherwise get.

What it should and should not say

Say: how you were appointed, what an executor does, that distributions come after debts and taxes, how often you will write, and how to reach you.
Don’t say: how much anyone will receive or when. You will not know either until every debt, expense and tax is settled.
Don’t send account numbers or the decedent’s Social Security number in a letter that goes to several people.

Formal notices to beneficiaries and heirs

This letter is an informal introduction. Some states also require a formal notice with specific contents. The rules we have read from the statutes:

Texas

Send notice to each beneficiary named in the will: 60 days after the order admitting the will. (Estates Code §308.002)
File the affidavit (or attorney’s certificate) that beneficiary notices went out: 90 days after the order admitting the will. (Estates Code §308.004)

Every Texas deadline, dated from your own dates: Texas probate timeline.

Florida

The notice to creditors is published once a week for 2 consecutive weeks, and must go out promptly after letters issue (Fla. Stat. §733.2121).
Anyone served with the notice of administration has 3 months from service to object to the will, the venue or the court’s jurisdiction (Fla. Stat. §733.212).

Every Florida deadline, dated from your own dates: Florida probate timeline.

California

Notice of the hearing on the probate petition must be delivered to heirs and named beneficiaries at least 15 days before the hearing (Prob. Code §8110), and the first newspaper publication must also be at least 15 days before it (§8121).

Every California deadline, dated from your own dates: California probate timeline.

Questions

Does an executor have to send beneficiaries a letter?: Some states require a formal notice. In Texas, for example, the executor must send notice to each beneficiary named in the will within 60 days after the order admitting the will (Estates Code §308.002), then file an affidavit within 90 days saying the notices went out (Estates Code §308.004). A required notice has to contain what the statute says it must contain. This letter is the plain-English introduction you send alongside it, or on its own where no formal notice is required.
What should an executor letter to beneficiaries include?: Who you are and how you were appointed, the court and case number, what an executor does, what the beneficiary should expect and roughly when, how you will keep them updated, and how to reach you. It should not promise an amount or a date for a distribution — you will not know either until the debts, expenses and taxes are known.
Should the letter say how much each beneficiary will get?: Not in the first letter. Until every asset is valued and every debt and expense is paid, any number is a guess, and a guess that turns out high is the most common source of beneficiary disputes. Send the numbers with the final accounting instead.
How should I send it?: Keep a copy and a record of when and how you sent it. Where a statute requires formal notice, it also says how the notice must be delivered — follow that for the formal notice.
Does anything I enter get saved or sent anywhere?: No. Everything stays in your browser and is gone when you close the tab — copy or print the letter before you leave.

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