Articles and Advice

What to Do After a Death [Your Complete Checklist]

Losing a loved one sparks a wave of emotions that can possibly overwhelm you. Aside from the grief you will feel, the departed also leaves behind an entire life that is now your responsibility to wrap up. Between their online subscriptions, unpaid bills, and job responsibilities, there is a lot that you and everyone close to your loved one will have to do.

But there is a way to alleviate any stress you may feel from this experience. After their death, a checklist of items you need to address may be the most helpful tool moving forward.

Below, we’ve separated common tasks one needs to complete after the death of a loved one. 

To-Do as Soon as Possible

We know how difficult it can be to feel motivated during this time, but there are some things you need to do as quickly as possible.

Call 911 If It Was an Unexpected Death

If your loved one died in their home, call 911 immediately. The medical team will help you decide on the next steps to take once they arrive.

Get a Legal Pronouncement of Death

Those who die in hospice care or at a hospital can get a legal pronouncement of death from the workers at the facility. However, if the deceased dies in their home, you will need to call 911; the medical team can legally pronounce the departed as dead.

Obtain Death Certificates

Your funeral home can help you order the death certificates once they have been filed with the state and county. This process can take days or weeks. Part of the certificate is personal information about the deceased that you will provide, and the other part of the certificate is given by the medical professional. This process can take some time, but it is hard to predict exactly how long. If you wish to obtain the certificates independent of the funeral home, you will need to call your county clerk’s office to obtain a death certificate. Only those with a notarized Certificate of Identity will be allowed to order an official death certificate. Without this proof of identity, you can still order Informational Certified copies of the death certificate.

We recommend getting around 10 copies of the death certificate so you have enough to submit to credit card companies, the IRS, and other organizations later.

Tell Friends and Family

Come up with a list of people who need to be notified of the death, like close relatives, friends, and work colleagues. Contact them as soon as possible, whether it’s through a text, email, or, preferably, a phone call.

Notify Their Employer

Contact the departed’s employer and ask for any information on life insurance policies, benefits, and paychecks that are still due to be delivered.

Find Out the Deceased’s Existing Funeral Plans

If you weren’t able to discuss your loved one’s funeral plans before their passing, see if they’ve left any written requests about their burial, cremation, or funeral plans. If no plans were left behind, then you should call another family member to discuss what the funeral will look like.

For example, if the deceased wished to be cremated before the funeral, then you can contact the crematorium to plan their direct cremation.

Find Out If They Were Organ Donors

Check the back of the deceased’s driver’s license to see if they were an organ donor. If they wish for their organs to be donated, contact their doctor immediately.

To-Do Within the First Two Weeks

While not as urgent, it will make your life much easier to complete these tasks within the first two weeks after the passing of your loved one. These tasks involve a lot of clerical and organizational measures you must take.

Make Funeral Arrangements

Funerals in the United States typically occur between three days to a week after a person’s death. Depending on what you and the family decided about the funeral, you will need to contact the funeral home to organize a few things ahead of time:

• Contact the funeral home that will assist in the services
• Find a venue for the funeral service
• Find a clergy member to lead the service
• Organize the program and who will speak and offer the eulogy
• Select a casket/urn
• Order a burial spot (if applicable)

When all of these things are in order, you are ready to conduct the funeral.

Find the Will

The family and friends of the departed will want to know where all money, belongings, and other assets will go at the time of their death. If you have a chance, it’s best to discuss the location of the will before the person’s passing so you can easily find it. If this conversation did not happen, then you will need to look through their important documents. 

The deceased will often name an executor, or person in charge of managing the estate, in their will. Contact this person so they can be involved in future decisions related to the estate.

Notify the Following

Aside from relatives, friends, and their employer, you also need to contact these organizations:

• Social Security: Although some funeral directors will contact the Social Security Administration, it is the family’s responsibility to report the death. This will halt any Social Security payments the departed was receiving.

• Life Insurance: You will need to contact their life insurance provider to collect any claims or benefits. 

• Other Insurance Companies: Cancel all payments to insurance companies (some of this may be done by the employer).

• Financial Advisors and Credit Agencies: Depending on who is listed as a beneficiary on the departed’s accounts, certain people may gain access to their stocks and accounts. 

• Certified Public Accountant (CPA): The deceased’s estate may have to file tax returns.
  

Secure Their Property

If no one else was living with the deceased, lock up the doors and windows. You should also go through their fridge, freezer, and pantry to dispose of any perishable foods.

Forward Their Mail

To avoid mail piling up in their mailbox or on their doorstep, go to the post office to file a forwarding order. This will send any mail that would go to the departed’s home to your home instead.

To-Do Within the First Month

Now that the immediate affairs and funeral are taken care of, you can focus on the less-urgent tasks.

Locate Assets

Also known as “marshaling the assets,” this is the task that takes the longest to complete. You will need to find every asset owned by the deceased, which may include:

• Deeds to property
• Physical cash
• Bank accounts
• Contents of safety deposit boxes
• Any other item with monetary value

Make a List of Bills

Mortgage payments, utility bills, and other regularly scheduled payments should be accounted for. Make a list of all charges and bills and hand it to the executor of the estate. They will take care of these payments when settling the estate.

Meet with a Trusts and Estates Attorney

Distributing assets from an estate can get messy, especially if it is worth more money. Having an attorney present will make things easier.

Probate the Will

Probating (legally executing) the will ensures that all debts are paid, and the remaining assets are distributed to the listed beneficiaries.

Cancel Unwanted Services

Things like video streaming services, subscriptions to magazines, or any other regular charges to their credit card should be canceled or transferred to someone who wants those services. You can go through their credit card statements to find all services that need to be canceled.

Close Credit Card Accounts

Tell the customer service representative of the departed’s bank that you are closing the account on behalf of your loved one. Make sure you have a copy of the death certificate available for this.

Cancel Their Driver’s License

Canceling their driver’s license will protect them from identity theft by removing them from the DMV records. You will need another copy of the death certificate to do this.

Close Email and Social Media Accounts

If the departed left you log-in information, it’s a good idea to cancel all social media and email accounts to avoid identity theft. However, you may choose to leave their social media accounts running as a way to remember the deceased.

Ensure Your Loved One’s Wishes Are Respected

A death in the family can cause a lot of stress, but using an after-death checklist can at least relieve the anxiety of forgetting something. This way, you’ll ensure you are respecting every wish and desire of your loved one.

If you have any questions about what documents you’ll need throughout this process, give All California Cremation a call. We’ll be more than happy to help prepare your loved one to rest easy in their next life.