Postmortem Most Important
First off, I am sorry this is all happening. I know it is all too much. The one piece of good news is there are only a few things that must happen ASAP. That’s the point of this blog and checklist, to help you get a handle on the things you have to do immediately and the things that can wait so you have time to process the grief you’re feeling.
Immediate Steps (What has to happen first?)
Pronouncement of death
Get a legal pronouncement of death. A medical professional will need to certify the time, place, and cause of death.
Dependents
Arrange care for their dependents and pets
Let people know
Close contacts - Notify close family and friends. You can also ask for help with this and designate.
Landlord/Rental Office - Notify the landlord or rental company if it’s not owned and secure the property (lock the doors, windows, etc)
Work - Reach out to their employer
Secure their stuff
Lock up the house or apartment
Secure any vehicles - If they have a car move it somewhere safe to avoid towing/tickets, etc.
You have done a lot already, the list above should cover the things that need to happen immediately. Don’t feel obligated to rush through the rest if you need a break.
Wait, what if I have to handle the remains??
If you’re actually the person who has to make decisions about the body… there are a few more things you need to do. Let’s talk about options… here’s generally what’s required legally and some things to consider.
In some cultures a person’s remains have to be attended to within a matter of days. Generally, most folks with close contacts whose beliefs require that will know what needs to happen.
If the person whose remains you’re responsible for died in a medical facility they’ll be able to manage not only pronouncement of death but transfer of remains.
If they died at home you will have to manage those logistics by calling whatever funeral home or service you’d like to use.
Funerals and Memorials (Basic logistics and options)
This is a huge topic and hopefully you’ll have a Will or at least some knowledge of what the deceased wanted to happen, in general:
Locate and review the person’s Will or any information on arrangements
Write an obituary (or ask a friend or relative to help put this together)
This can be published in a local paper, shared with colleagues, posted by the funeral home, etc.
Get details together for the funeral- if not specified by the deceased are far more varied than most people in modern Western Civilization realize. We have a guide on this (link coming soon).
Post Death Administration
This is where things get… tedious. The business of administration is something not even death can stop. It can be a lot to manage, so hopefully these tips help you get organized and provide a sense of what you’re going to be managing. This section is high-level, the number of individual items can get long quickly, so review what’s listed here and download a full checklist here.
Get Death Certificates
This is a key unlock for moving forward in all steps to follow
Order multiple certified copies from the funeral home or vital records office
Note- these cost you money but you will need a few for all the steps that follow. The general recommendation is to get 8-12 certificates.
Need more info see blog - What even is a death certificate and why do I need one?
Handle Legal and Financial Affairs
Find the will and/or trust (but what do I do if there is no will?)
Contact the estate attorney
Begin probate process (if needed) - work with an estate attorney
Notify Social Security and other agencies
Notify banks, credit card companies, insurance companies, etc. - they will keep coming for you if you don’t notify them
Close or transfer accounts
Pay outstanding debts and bills where necessary
Cancel or transfer utilities and subscriptions
Longer-Term Tasks
Distribute assets as outlined in the will
File final tax returns
Notify DMV to cancel driver’s license
We have done our best to make this as universal as possible but please note this guide is intended for the US only and there are some specific statewide exceptions to death rules you might need to validate if your situation expounds those outlined above.
Reading this and thinking about your own arrangements - we've got you covered. We have guides for proactively prepping for loss.
TLDR Postmortem Checklist