Short answer: USLeadList sells monthly county files of homes whose owner has died, typically delivered about five weeks after the death, at $1.30 to $1.80 per record. The files are built from death and property records rather than court filings. Probate lists leave out trust-held homes. Ours include them. Each state's lawyer advertising rules govern how you write to the families.
I am not a lawyer, and this guide is a summary, not legal advice. It explains what the files contain and what the rules in nine states say about targeted letters.
What the files contain
Each record in a county file includes the property address, a mailing name and mailing address (which can differ from the property address), a parcel number and basic property details. A record typically arrives about five weeks after the death, though timing varies by record, and the files do not show cause of death.
These are not court-file probate leads: there are no court filings, executors, case numbers or attorneys of record. A free sample of up to five rows from older records shows the layout, and you can check any county's monthly count and price before you buy.
Why trust-held homes matter to an estate practice
Many inherited homes pass outside probate. When a home is held in a living trust, the estate never reaches the probate docket, so a court list will never show it. The successor trustee may still want help administering the trust and selling or transferring the home.
Our files include those trust-held homes, because they start from death and property records instead of court filings. The trust sale guide explains how a trust sale differs from a probate sale.
How attorneys use the files
The practical use is one plain letter offering help with probate or trust administration. A few rules shape that letter in most states:
- Mail only. Live contact with prospective clients, by phone or in person, is barred in most states, and Pennsylvania treats text messages as live contact.
- Judgment and grief. Florida, Ohio, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Washington bar solicitation when the person's physical, emotional or mental state makes reasonable judgment unlikely. None of them sets a number of days.
- One letter. Comments in Ohio and Pennsylvania warn that follow-up letters after no response may violate the rule. Every state requires honoring a request to stop.
- Say where the name came from. Florida and Ohio require the letter to say how you learned the person's name. A neutral sentence you can adapt: "Your name and address came from death and property records."
- Represented families. Florida bars letters to people you know or should know already have a lawyer in the matter. The files do not show whether a family has one.
Targeted mail rules in nine states
These summaries were checked against each state's rule text on October 23, 2026.
| State | Label | Filing | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida (Rule 4-7.18) | "Advertisement" on the envelope and each enclosure | File with The Florida Bar at least 20 days before mailing ($250) | Say how you got the information; the envelope may not reveal the legal matter |
| California (Rule 7.3, amended June 1, 2026) | "Advertisement" or similar on the outside envelope | No filing requirement in the rule | |
| New York (rules effective June 1, 2026) | None | None | Name a responsible lawyer with contact information |
| Ohio (Rule 7.3) | "ADVERTISING MATERIAL" or "ADVERTISEMENT ONLY" in the letter and on the envelope | None | Say how you learned the person's identity |
| Michigan (Rule 7.3) | None | None | Targeted letters expressly allowed; keep a copy for 2 years |
| Georgia (Rule 7.3, effective March 1, 2026) | None | None | Include your name and contact information |
| Pennsylvania (effective November 14, 2024) | None | None | Targeted mail allowed; state the office's city or town |
| Illinois (Rule 7.3) | "Advertising Material" on the envelope | None | |
| Washington (Rule 7.3, amended April 29, 2025) | None | None |
Some states also set waiting periods after accidents or disasters. Florida and Georgia bar targeted letters for 30 days, and Michigan law sets 30 days after a motor-vehicle accident. The Supreme Court upheld Florida's 30-day rule in Florida Bar v. Went For It (1995). Our files do not show cause of death, so check each mailing date against your state's rules.
Rules change. Confirm with your state bar before you mail.
How we price, and what we do not do
A one-time list costs $1.80 per record. Subscriptions cost $1.50 per record for 3 months, $1.40 for 6 months and $1.30 for 12 months, with a 3-month minimum, and larger counties cost a little less per record. The probate lead pricing guide compares these prices with court-list subscriptions.
We charge per record only. We never charge per client, never take a share of legal fees and never recommend a lawyer to a family. That matters because ABA Model Rule 7.2(b)(1) lets a lawyer pay the reasonable costs of advertisements or communications, while a lead generator must not recommend the lawyer and its price must not depend on whether the lawyer is hired. ABA Formal Opinion 501 (2022) also makes lawyers responsible for solicitation done for them by vendors and staff.
Our phone and email add-on is built for real estate buyers and is not meant for attorney outreach, since most states bar calling prospective clients.
Questions attorneys ask
Is it legal to write to families after a death?
In general, yes. In Shapero v. Kentucky Bar Association (1988), the Supreme Court held that states cannot ban truthful, non-deceptive targeted letters to people known to need legal services, but states can regulate them with labels, filing and other rules. Check your state's rules before you mail.
Do the files include the executor or the attorney of record?
No. The files have no court filings, executors, case numbers or attorneys of record. You write to the mailing name and address on the record.
Can I call the families?
Most states bar live contact with prospective clients by phone or in person, and Pennsylvania counts text messages too. Use mail.
Does every estate in the file go through probate?
No. Many inherited homes pass outside probate, for example through a living trust. Never write as if a family must open probate or hire a lawyer.
Who else receives the same records?
Each record goes to no more than three USLeadList subscribers. They can be real estate investors, agents or service companies, so a family may hear from more than one business.
Can I see a sample first?
Yes. The free sample shows up to five rows from older records, so you can see the layout before you buy.