The death of a loved one is an emotional and stressful experience. In addition to grieving, you may find yourself responsible for settling their affairs—from funeral arrangements and settling their estate to finding care for their pets. If you’re unsure what to do after someone dies, this checklist can help guide you through the process.
While the tasks vary depending on circumstances, there are essential steps to follow in the immediate aftermath of a death. Not everything needs to be done at once. Some tasks are urgent, while others can be handled in the following weeks or months. Delegate tasks to family and friends to ease the burden.
For a printable version of this checklist, download it here.
What To Do:
Immediate Actions
The list of things to do when someone dies can be long, but some things need to be taken care of more quickly than others. Here are the first things you should do when someone dies.
1. Arrange Transportation of the Body
After a death, you’ll need to arrange transportation of the body to a crematorium, funeral home, or medical institution (if the person was an organ donor or planned to donate their body to science). The specific arrangements will depend on your loved one’s wishes or the decisions you make on their behalf.
If the death occurred at home, contact local authorities or a funeral home to coordinate the removal. In some cases, a coroner may need to be notified. At a hospital, hospice, or care facility, staff will assist in contacting a funeral home or crematory.
2. Obtain a Legal Pronouncement of Death
Before obtaining a death certificate, you must first have an official death pronouncement. If your loved one passed away in a hospital or nursing home, the staff will handle this. However, if the passing occurred at home, a medical professional must make the declaration. In this case, call 911 for guidance.
3. Notify Family and Close Friends
Informing others of your loved one’s passing can be one of the hardest tasks. Start by making a list of immediate family, close friends, and colleagues to notify. Whenever possible, share the news in person or by phone. As you inform others, ask for their help in notifying additional family and friends. Delegating this responsibility can ease the emotional burden while communicating the message thoughtfully.
4. Arrange Care for Dependents
If your loved one has dependents, you’ll need to make plans for their care. Guardianship should be included in their estate plan, but you may also need to arrange for temporary care until the guardian can assume responsibility. If no guardian is designated, the family must work with the courts to determine who will care for the dependents. Pets also need care arrangements, such as rehoming or foster care. For more information on pet care, read Who will care for your pet when you pass away?
5. Secure Property and Personal Belongings
Ensure your loved one’s home and vehicle are locked while you figure out what to do next. Store valuables like jewelry, cash, and collectibles in a safe or lockbox, or take them home to protect them from theft.
Visit the post office to forward their mail to you or a trusted individual. This prevents an overflowing mailbox, which could signal an empty house. Reviewing their mail may also help you identify bank accounts, credit cards with outstanding balances, or any loans.
Within a Few Days
Once you’ve handled the tasks that need to be done immediately after a death, it’s time to make arrangements for a memorial, funeral, or celebration of life, among other things. While the next steps will vary from person to person, here is a list of common tasks to do shortly after someone dies.
6. Locate and Review End-of-Life Documents
Ideally, your loved one made plans for what they’d like to happen after they die, such as pre-paying for cremation, a burial plot, or leaving a letter of instruction outlining their wishes. If they haven’t left any formal instructions, talk to family and friends to find out if they’ve had conversations regarding their wishes.
Next, locate their trust, will, and documents detailing accounts, passwords, and other essential information. These will be referenced frequently as you settle the estate, so assess what you have and identify any missing items. If a trust exists, it may be reflected in the deed to their home, which can be found at the county or city recorder’s office. Ensure the trust or will is delivered to the appointed successor trustee or executor.
7. Plan the Memorial or Funeral Service
If your loved one shared their wishes for after their death, follow them. If not, it’s time to consult with family and make decisions together. Here are key details to consider:
- Obituary: Decide if you want to place an obituary in the local paper or online, and choose who will write it. Here’s a helpful outline of what to include, along with examples to get you started.
- Burial vs. Cremation: Consider the deceased’s religious beliefs and traditions. For burial, discuss the location, type of burial, and memorial marker. For cremation, decide what to do with the ashes—whether to spread them, create a keepsake, or keep them in an urn.
- Service: Decide if you want a memorial service, funeral, or celebration of life. Incorporate any religious beliefs if applicable. Choose the service location, who will handle the details, and who will manage the payment.
For a more comprehensive guide, read our Funeral Planning Guide to help you create a service that honors your loved one’s wishes.
8. Obtain Death Certificates
To obtain a death certificate you’ll need to contact the vital records office in your state. You’ll typically need to provide the deceased’s full name, date and place of death, Social Security number, and your relationship or reason for requesting the certificate. Order at least ten certified copies of the death certificate. You’ll need them to close accounts, transfer ownership of accounts or property, or whenever proof of death is needed.
9. Notify Employer
Inform the deceased’s employer about the death as soon as possible. Call them to notify them directly and inquire about any benefits or outstanding pay. Be sure to ask about life insurance offerings and how to file a claim. Additionally, make arrangements to collect any personal items from their workplace.
10. Contact Insurance Companies and Financial Institutions
Gather a list of all insurance policies held by the deceased. Cancel health policies but avoid canceling home or car insurance until the property has been sold or transferred. Notify the insurance agent of the death and explain plans for the home or vehicles (whether they will be sold or inherited). For less common policies, like boat insurance, cancel once the items are sold or transferred to a new owner.
Once you have the death certificate, notify the relevant organizations, including:
- Banks and Financial Institutions: Provide proof of death to release funds to the beneficiaries.
- Life Insurance Companies: Notify the company to file a claim or cancel any policies. Proof of death is required for both.
- Credit Agencies: Send the death certificate to one of the major credit bureaus. You only need to notify one, and they will share the information with the others.
In The Following Weeks
After the deceased has been laid to rest, it’s time to settle their estate and other affairs. This process can be fairly quick or take years, and it can be emotionally taxing no matter the length. Take care of your mental health during this time.
11. Settle the Estate
Settling an estate can vary depending on its size and whether a will and other end-of-life documents are in place. While you may not need to complete every task on this list, here are common steps involved in the process:
- Find the will and notify the executor. If you aren’t the executor, locate the will and inform the designated person.
- Find and inventory all assets. List all assets, including financial accounts and tangible items like jewelry or antiques.
- Submit the will to your local probate court. If there’s a trust, probate may be avoidable, speeding up the process. Probate ensures debts are paid, and remaining assets are transferred to beneficiaries.
- Enlist a trusts and estates attorney. Hiring an attorney can simplify the process. It’s optional but may ease the burden. A CPA can also help with final tax returns and inheritance tax advice.
- Transfer financial accounts. If there’s a financial advisor, work with them to transfer accounts to the beneficiaries.
If the deceased didn’t have a will, the probate court will follow local laws to determine asset distribution. These laws vary from state to state but typically give preference to the surviving spouse or partner, followed by children, then parents, siblings, and extended family members.
12. Cancel or Transfer Accounts and Subscriptions
Close or transfer utilities, subscriptions, and memberships in the deceased’s name. Review their mail and bank statements to identify ongoing charges. Close all credit card accounts and destroy the physical cards. If there is a joint user, remove the deceased’s name from the account but keep it open, and destroy any cards with their name.
Canceling services ensures companies don’t pursue payment for charges that could accrue later. Canceling prevents unwanted charges, freeing up those important funds for beneficiaries. This is why canceling credit cards promptly is important.
Services to cancel may include:
- Cable TV
- Internet provider
- Streaming services
- Gym memberships
- Professional or social organization memberships
- Phone carrier
13. Notify Government Agencies
Inform agencies like the Social Security Administration and the Department of Motor Vehicles to update records and prevent identity theft.
- Social Security Administration: Notify the SSA if your loved one was receiving Social Security benefits or if you need to apply for survivor benefits.
- Department of Motor Vehicles: Removing your loved one from the DMV database prevents identity theft and ensures they no longer receive license renewal requests or bills.
- Voter Registration Office: Like above, removing their name from the voter registration database helps prevent fraud.
- Veterans Affairs: If your loved one was a veteran receiving benefits, inform the VA to update their records.
14. Pay Bills and Settle Debts
Begin by listing bills that need to be paid in the short term, such as the mortgage, taxes, credit card payments, car loans, and utilities, while you settle the estate. Some bills will be handled by the estate itself, including debts and assets. For instance, if the home is sold or inherited, mortgage payments will no longer be your responsibility. Similarly, credit card debt is paid by the estate. If the estate lacks sufficient funds, the debt won’t be passed on to heirs.
Some utilities and insurance will need to be paid until you transfer the home into the new owner’s name. Use auto-pay or set reminders for payment due dates and to cancel accounts once no longer needed.
15. Deactivate Social Media and Online Accounts
If you don’t have the password to your loved one’s social media accounts, you won’t be able to gain access due to privacy laws. However, some social media companies let you request to “memorialize” an account, keeping it open with a “remembering” label on it so people can still view photos and share memorial tributes to the page. You can also request account deletion by providing the necessary information.
For email accounts, providers typically suspend accounts after a period of inactivity. You may be able to request deactivation, but it’s important to check the specific rules with the service provider your loved one used.
Allow Yourself To Grieve
The process of settling a loved one’s affairs can be overwhelming and may distract from your need to grieve. Consider grief counseling to support your emotional well-being during this time.
While these tasks can seem daunting, breaking them down and taking one step at a time will make the process manageable and alleviate some of the stress. For peace of mind, download our checklist to ensure the process goes smoothly.