What to Do After a Loved One Dies

Losing a loved one is never easy. Along with the grief, you may suddenly find yourself responsible for handling their affairs. If you are named as the executor or personal representative (when there is a will or no estate plan) or as the successor trustee (when there is a trust), the responsibilities can feel overwhelming.

In addition to planning a funeral and supporting family, you must also begin the legal and financial process of settling their estate—paying final expenses, addressing debts, and ensuring that money and property are properly distributed.

First and foremost, take care of yourself during this emotional time. Then, when you are ready, use this checklist as a starting point. It highlights important steps and deadlines that will help you prepare for meeting with our office and make the process smoother.

Immediate Steps

• Secure property and belongings. Protect your loved one’s home, vehicle, important documents, and valuables to prevent loss or damage.

• Forward mail. Notify the post office to redirect mail to your address so that bills, account statements, and other important correspondence don’t get overlooked.

• Share ethical wills or family letters. If your loved one left behind a legacy statement, consider sharing it thoughtfully with family members who would appreciate it.

Legal and Administrative Tasks

• Obtain death certificates. Request multiple copies of both the short and long forms. You will need them for banks, insurance companies, government agencies, and more.

• Notify Social Security and Medicare. Prompt reporting prevents overpayments and ensures survivor benefits are processed without delay.

• Contact employers. Ask about final wages, unused vacation or sick time, and employer-provided benefits such as life insurance.

• Notify insurance companies. Begin with health, life, auto, and homeowner’s insurers. Some policies may continue temporarily until you are formally appointed as executor or trustee.

Gather Key Information

• Estate planning documents. Collect the original will, trust, and powers of attorney. Originals are often required, especially for probate.

• Financial records. Identify bank, investment, and retirement accounts, life insurance policies, real estate, and any business interests. Collect recent statements and appraisals.

• Digital assets. Compile access to email, social media, cloud storage, and online financial accounts.

• Debts and bills. List ongoing obligations such as loans, credit cards, and utilities.

• Tax records. Locate past tax returns and confirm whether the most recent return was filed. Contact their tax preparer if needed.

• Family and beneficiary list. Prepare a contact list of surviving relatives and any individuals or charities named in the estate plan.

• Professional advisors. Note your loved one’s financial advisor, insurance agent, and tax professional. They can provide critical information and guidance.

Protect Against Identity Theft

Notify the DMV, passport agency, voter registration office, clubs, and memberships of your loved one’s passing. Also inform the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion). This helps prevent fraud and reduces unwanted mail.

Don’t Go It Alone

It may be tempting to manage everything yourself to keep things simple. But estate and trust administration is complex. A small mistake can cause costly delays, tax consequences, or disputes among beneficiaries.

Our team is here to guide you through the process, help you avoid pitfalls, and ensure your loved one’s wishes are carried out. That way, you can focus on what matters most: healing and supporting your family.

Contact us today for compassionate, knowledgeable assistance with estate and trust administration.

• Secure the deceased person’s belongings. Make sure their vehicle, home, important documents, and other valuable items are safe. This action protects items intended for distribution and ensures that critical estate planning documents and asset information remain accessible as you begin settling the estate.
• Notify the post office and consider forwarding your loved one’s mail to your address so you receive bills, account statements, and other correspondence necessary to wind up their affairs.
• If your loved one wrote an ethical will (sometimes called a legacy statement or family letter)—a document meant to share personal values, life lessons, hopes, and messages for future generations—consider sharing it thoughtfully with the appropriate people.
• Obtain several copies of the official death certificate, both short and long forms. These are required for banks, insurance companies, government agencies, and other institutions.
• Notify the Social Security Administration of your loved one’s death to prevent overpayments and ensure eligible survivor benefits can be processed.
• Complete any Medicare paperwork needed to report the death so future charges stop and the account can be closed.
• Contact your loved one’s employer regarding work-related benefits such as a final paycheck, unused vacation or sick time, or employer-provided life insurance.
• Notify insurance companies, starting with health insurance. Also contact life, auto, homeowner’s or renter’s insurers. Some policies may need to remain active temporarily until you are formally appointed executor or personal representative.
• Gather important estate planning documents, including the will, trust, and powers of attorney. Original versions are especially important for probate.
• Identify financial accounts, retirement accounts, life insurance policies, real estate, and any business interests. Locate recent statements or valuations if possible.
• Identify digital assets such as email accounts, social media profiles, photo storage services, and online financial accounts.
• Compile information about debts, bills, and ongoing expenses such as credit cards, loans, and utilities.
• Locate tax returns from the past several years and determine whether the most recent return has been filed.
• Prepare a list of surviving family members and contact information, along with anyone named in the will or trust.
• Create a list of professional advisors, including financial advisors, insurance agents, and tax professionals.
• Notify agencies to cancel the driver’s license, passport, voter registration, and memberships. Also notify the major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) to help prevent identity theft.

You may consider handling the paperwork yourself, but do-it-yourself estate or trust administration can lead to costly mistakes and serious consequences. Even small errors can create major problems.

We are here to help you avoid common obstacles and guide you through the process so you can focus on yourself and your family during this difficult time. Contact us for assistance with estate and trust administration and other helpful resources.