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DE-147Mandatory

Duties and Liabilities of Personal Representative

California · Judicial Council of California · Effective January 1, 2002

This form explains the responsibilities and legal duties of a personal representative managing a deceased person's estate. It outlines rules for handling estate money, keeping records, and filing required documents with the court.

The court describes it as: Explains the duties of a personal representative of an estate (the executor of the deceased person’s will or the administrator appointed by the court to manage the estate of a deceased person who did not have a will) and what can happen if a personal representative does not fulfill those duties. People who have asked the court to be appointed as a personal representative also use this to tell the court they have received a copy of Duties and Liabilities of Personal Representative (DE-147).

Open the official PDFfrom Judicial Council of California

Where this fits in a case

General & info

Information / general use — not tied to one step of a case

This form is used when someone has been appointed or is asking the court to be appointed as the personal representative for an estate.

Either party may file.

Official instructions

How-to guides published by the court for this form.

Common questions

What is this form about?
This form explains the duties and responsibilities of a personal representative who is managing an estate. It is a summary of the law, not the complete law itself.
Who should fill this out?
It can be used by someone who has asked the court to appoint them as a personal representative, or it can be used to show that someone has received a copy of these duties.

Revision history

No changes recorded since we started tracking this form on October 9, 2026. The current version took effect January 1, 2002.

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