§ FAQ
Common questions.
The questions T&E paralegals and partners ask in the first five minutes of a demo, answered without sales gloss.
§ 01 — What it is
What it is.
What does EstatePacket actually produce?
A Draft Estate Packet — a structured asset inventory in California Form DE-160 / DE-161 conventions, with a citation under every line. It is intended for attorney review and verification before filing. It is not a court filing, and we do not file anything with any court on your behalf.
Does an attorney need to review it?
Yes. The output is labeled "ATTORNEY-REVIEWABLE DRAFT" on every page of the PDF. The workflow assumes a licensed attorney signs off before any reliance, beneficiary communication, or filing.
Is this AI?
The narrative section of the packet is generated by Anthropic's Claude API from cited findings. The findings themselves come from deterministic public-records queries and snapshots — not from a model. We avoid agentic-sounding marketing language for that reason. The model writes the paragraph; a human attorney verifies the citations.
§ 02 — What's covered
What's covered.
Which states do you cover?
California only in the current build. The roadmap is Texas next, then Florida, then New York. We do not run the search against any state outside California, and the marketing copy is careful not to imply otherwise.
Which sources run live, and which are cached?
1 live source — MissingMoney.com, scoped to California. 3 cached snapshots — FINRA BrokerCheck, SEC EDGAR, Los Angeles County Recorder. Cached snapshots are clearly labeled in the UI and re-run live once each integration is built out. The LA County snapshot is a synthesized illustration of the workflow because the LA County Recorder does not offer a free online deed index.
Why is LA County synthesized?
The LA County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk does not expose a free online Grantor/Grantee deed index. The only paths to real instrument data are fee-based mail and in-person services. Production integration requires a paid bulk-data vendor; that work is scheduled but not in the MVP. We label LA County data as "synthesized illustration" at the data layer, the UI layer, and in the sample packet.
Do you query banks?
No. The product is public-records-only. We never request, accept, or simulate executor or decedent online-banking credentials, and we do not run "credential-based" account discovery.
§ 03 — Pricing
Pricing.
What does it cost?
$295 per estate processed. No subscription. No per-seat fees. No minimums. Volume pricing applies above 50 estates per year. Trust company pricing is negotiated separately.
How is it billed?
Invoiced to the firm. Net 30. Late fees of 1.5% per month or the maximum allowed by law (whichever is lower) on invoices unpaid past 30 days. No credit card on file is required.
Can a firm pilot the product before signing anything?
Yes. Run the demo packet end-to-end at app.estatepacket.com against the Margaret Chen fictional decedent. No commitment, no email gate. After that, book a thirty-minute demo with the founder via /contact.
§ 04 — Data + privacy
Data + privacy.
What identifiers do you need at intake?
Decedent full name, date of birth, date of death, last known California addresses, and executor email. No SSN. No bank account numbers. No financial-institution credentials. Matching is name + DOB + last addresses by design.
Where is matter data stored, and for how long?
On Railway-hosted infrastructure (US region) with disk-level encryption at rest. Retained for the duration of the engagement plus a reasonable archival period required for professional-services records (typically up to seven years), unless deletion is requested sooner. Full detail at /security.
Do you train models on customer data?
No. We do not use submitted matter data for training, fine-tuning, or aggregate datasets.
Can a beneficiary request their information?
Beneficiaries are not our direct customers. The Draft Estate Packet is delivered to the firm of record, not to the beneficiary. Privacy and data-subject requests covering matter data should come from or be authorized by the firm. California residents have additional rights under CCPA / CPRA — see /privacy.
§ 05 — Roadmap + ops
Roadmap + ops.
When does Texas ship?
Targeting Q3 2026 for Texas, then Florida shortly after. Both have probate volumes comparable to California and a paralegal workflow we've already mapped. New York is on the slower end of the queue — court culture and surrogate's-court variation make it the hardest state to ship correctly.
When does the LA County snapshot become live data?
Scheduled for the next 30 days, dependent on signing with a paid bulk-data vendor. The interface will not change; only the underlying data will. The synthesized-illustration labeling stays until live data lands.
How do I report a bug or a wrong line item?
Email hello@estatepacket.com with the matter id and the line in question. We acknowledge within one business day. Public issue tracker is not yet open.
Where do I send a security report?
security@estatepacket.com. Acknowledgement within one business day. We do not threaten legal action against good-faith researchers. Full responsible-disclosure language at /security § 05.
Question not here?
Email gets read the same day.
If your firm has a question that's not on this page — pricing for trust companies, vendor due-diligence templates, an unusual matter type — write to us. We answer all of them, even the ones we have to say "not yet" to.