What to Do Soon After Your Loved One Dies

Losing a loved one is an emotionally challenging experience and amidst the grief there are crucial steps that need attention. Here's a comprehensive guide on the essential tasks individuals should undertake after the passing of a loved one:

1. Obtain a death certificate

The death certificate is an official document that records the cause of death and is required for many legal purposes. You may need to contact the funeral home or hospital where your loved one passed away to obtain a death certificate. Make 30 copies! Every institution will require a copy of the death certificate to confirm your loved one's passing.

2. Notify family and close friends

Contact family members and close friends of the deceased to let them know about the passing. Don't be afraid to delegate part of this task. If your loved one is working contact one person at the company and let them inform the rest. One person on the tennis team and so on. If you have access to your loved one's phone then you can catch any texts that come in and respond. Facebook and LinkedIn both have pages to report someone's passing and both require a PDF of the death certificate.

3. Make funeral arrangements

Plan and coordinate the funeral and/or memorial service. The funeral home will take care as much of this process as you want them to, and you should. You have grieving to do and people to commiserate with - just make sure to ask what everything costs so that you can stay within your budget.

4. Cancel the credit cards first

You'll need the death certificate to do this but you want any interest accruals suspended immediately and people often tie automatic subscription payments to a credit card. Shut them down immediately to prevent money from flying out the door.

5. Cancel as many subscriptions as possible as soon as possible

Most people tie their subscriptions to their credit card so canceling the cards helps but to avoid owing these companies money shut down as many subscriptions and memberships that you can think of. Consider asking an adult child, sibling or close friend to help. People want to be helpful during this time so allow them to help. There are several sites that can identify subscriptions and cancel them. Gym and club memberships are often overlooked especially if they bill annually. Review the prior month's bank and credit card statements to help identify who is taking money out of these accounts.

6. Hire an estate lawyer

An estate lawyer can guide you through the legal process of administering the estate, including probate and distribution of assets. Review the deceased's will and any other estate planning documents to understand their wishes and to determine who will be responsible for administering the estate.

7. Secure the deceased's property

Ensure that the deceased's properties are secure and consider changing the locks on their residence. Every property requires maintenance so consider who to contact to either continue that maintenance or cancel it. Again, your friends want to help so if you can delegate a task to a friend, like your loved one's best boating friend to figure out the boat, then do it.

8. Notify any other financial institutions

Personal credit cards are straightforward but the banks, investment firms, retirement funds, and any loans are a bit more complicated. Be prepared when you see an estate attorney with a full list of these financial firms and ask the attorney under the context of the will or trust how to proceed with each one.

9. File a claim for life insurance

If the deceased has a life insurance policy, you will need to file a claim to receive the payout. Most companies have a life insurance policy benefit for salaried employees so contact the company's HR department to learn of any benefits you may not be aware of.

10. Notify government agencies

Notify the relevant government agencies, such as the Social Security Administration and the Department of Motor Vehicles.

It's important to keep in mind these tasks may vary depending on the specific circumstances of the deceased and their estate. An estate lawyer can provide additional guidance on the steps to take after a loved one passes away. It's an arduous process and recognize that it will take weeks to get through it all. Shut down the payments as soon as possible and delegate whatever you can to your family and friends since they are there to help you.