my mother and father both has passed away over the last 4 months.?

Sorry about your loss.

Absolutely you need to hire professional help. I recommend an attorney, not an accountant because there are legal issues with the estate that go beyond finances.

This is one time when paying a lawyer is actually cheaper. If you mess something up, you could end up with a huge legal mess. If you hire a lawyer, he'll take a few hundred to a few thousand dollars from the estate as a fee and it will be much cheaper.

A couple things to consider (your lawyer can give you more specific advice with details for your state)

1. Mom & Dad's estate might have to file a tax return for 2011, or any previous year if they had income but never filed. You could hire an accountant for this part.

2. There shouldn't be any federal estate taxes unless the estate is over $7 million in total value, but there are a few states that still have an inheritance tax. An attorney familiar with your state's laws can tell you if there's anything to worry about here.

3. Debts: the estate must settle all of Mom & Dad's outstanding debts before your brother and you can take an inheritance from the estate. This is where people often get into trouble. When people do estates without professional help they just take the money that the deceased person left behind and they forget to pay the debts. Then later they get sued for the debts and they end up paying a lot more in the long run. This is where hiring an attorney really pays off. Make sure the estate has paid all its debts before anyone takes a dime from it.

It's more of a legal matter than a tax matter unless the estate is over $5,000,000. Then it's both. The lawyer has to file certain court papers and announcements which an accountant won't necessarily know about.

it depends on how much you know about handling the estate

there should have been a estate trust established so that the estate would take care of all the disposition of the assets

and you probably need to get someone who is knowledgeable to help you, especially if you are not educated in taxes

Yes. Yes. Yes.

Sorry about your losses.

Estate issues go beyond filling out a tax return. If an estate administration goes wrong, it will create a headache you can't imagine.

Even with professional assistance you'll have your hands full. Don't listen to anyone who says "Aw, you can do it yourself. All you need is the right software." Nobody who knows what they're talking about will say anything like that.

Sorry for your loss.

I'd contact a lawyer rather than an accountant, unless the estate was very large and complex, then you'd probably need both.

sorry that you and your brother must bear this double loss.

an accountant is probably all the adviser you'll need, unless the estate is at least several million, and a lot cheaper than an attorney.

If you feel the need to, yes. Depends on the size/complexity of the estate. Such costs (and legal fees) can be paid for out of the estate's assets.

Be afraid, be very afraid. Contact an attorney so it can be done right the first time. You are babes in the financial woods fraught with peril here.

I certainly would.

If you don't know how ... then you should. He might also have tips on how to not have to pay so much too.