Estate Accounting Without the Spreadsheet Chaos
Track every asset, receipt, and distribution, then generate a balanced Summary of Account for the court.
Open the Ledger Try the Sample EstateCHARGES
CREDITS
Why is it free?
The whole tool is free forever — no paid plans, no trials, no limits, no email. Guide pages like this one carry ads so the ledger itself never has to charge you.
Estate Ledger
- Full tool — inventory + ledger + report
- Automatic balance check
- Unlimited estates & entries
- Data never leaves your device
- No ads inside the tool, ever
Software alternatives
- Typical paid estate software
- Often server-based, trial then paid
- Requires an account
Attorney (for complex estates)
- Advice, filing, representation
- Billed hourly
- Right choice for complex estates — a ledger does not replace counsel
Typical market prices for context (paid software and attorney billing, shown for comparison only — these are not our plans). Estate Ledger has no paid plans. Informational organizing tool — not legal advice. Court may require its own form.
Three steps to a balanced account
List the assets
Record the inventory with each asset's date-of-death value — the standard courts expect.
Record every movement
Receipts, payments, distributions, and the executor's own reimbursable expenses — in one clean ledger.
Generate the Summary of Account
The tool assembles the charge-and-discharge statement — and checks that totals balance.
balanced ✓
Everything the court expects to see
Charge-and-Discharge Account
Assembled automatically in the standard court structure: charges, credits, and schedules.
Automatic balance check
Total Charges must equal Total Credits — a red flag shows exactly where they don't.
Income vs Principal
Recorded separately, as most courts and trusts require.
Asset sale gains & losses
Sale proceeds compare against date-of-death value automatically — no double counting.
Executor expense tracking
Money you paid personally becomes a reimbursable claim against the estate — tracked cleanly.
PDF, CSV, JSON export
Print the court-ready report, export for your attorney, and back up your data anytime.
See it before you trust it
A fictional estate, fully worked: assets, 31 transactions, a balanced final account. Open it read-only — no data entry, no commitment.
Open the Sample Estate →Questions executors ask
Is this really free?
Yes — every feature, no limits, no email required. The project is supported by ads on this page (never inside the tool).
Will the court accept this form?
The report follows the standard charge-and-discharge structure many courts expect. Always confirm your court's required format — some courts have their own forms. This tool organizes and presents; it is not legal advice.
Where is my data stored?
In your browser only (localStorage). Nothing is uploaded. Clearing browser data erases it, so download a JSON backup weekly — we remind you.
What about taxes (Form 706 / 1041)?
The ledger helps organize records for your tax preparer; it does not prepare tax returns.
Free guides for executors
Probate accounting guide
The whole charge-and-discharge structure in plain language, with state notes.
Inventory template
Every asset at date-of-death value, with valuation sources and non-probate flags.
The final account
How the charge-and-discharge statement is built — and why it balances.
Executor fee calculator
Statutory commissions for 24 states — CA §10810 tiers, income-based states, reasonable-fee notes.