What To Do in the First Month After Someone Dies in Texas

The first month after someone dies is strange. Time bends. Your brain forgets simple things. Meanwhile, Texas expects paperwork, decisions, and legal steps you’ve likely never dealt with before.

This is not a complete guide to everything that comes next. This is a guide to the first 30 days after a death in the state of Texas, especially for families in Austin and Central Texas. The goal isn’t to get everything done. The goal is to avoid mistakes, protect yourself, and buy time.

We are here to assure you that you don’t need to do everything all at once or even immediately. You just need to do the most impactful few things, in the right order.

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Week 1: What Needs to Happen First (and Slow Everything Else Down)

1. Get a Legal Pronouncement of Death

In Texas, everything starts with a legal pronouncement of death. If your person died in a hospital or hospice, this is handled for you. If the death happened at home and hospice was not involved, you’ll need to call 911 so a professional can pronounce the death. Until this happens, nothing else can move forward.

• Hospital or hospice: handled for you

• At home (no hospice): call 911

Nothing else can happen until this step is complete. Once the death is officially recorded, you’ll need to decide what happens to the body.. In Austin and Travis County especially, prices and options vary widely, and families are often pressured to make fast decisions while in shock. Slowing down here is allowed.

2. Choose Immediate Care for the Body (Choose preferred handling of the body)

Once the death is officially recorded, you’ll need to decide what happens to the body. 

• Texas allows burial, cremation, green burial, and even home funerals.

• There is no legal requirement to rush or overspend. If you’re in Austin or Travis County, prices and availability vary a lot. Pause before signing anything under pressure and if you are up for it shop around or compare offerings. 

• Funeral homes are legally required to share pricing.The FTC’s “Funeral Rule” requires that any funeral home must give you clear, itemized costs over the phone for all services and products. 

• Note: The over the phone part is super important,  because people can't be asked to "come in" to discuss pricing as a pressure sales tactic. 

3. Order Death Certificates

During the first week, you should also order death certificates. Most families need between five and ten certified copies of the death certificate to deal with banks, insurance companies, and government agencies. Ordering more upfront is usually easier than reordering later.

Most families need 5–10 certified copies or the Death Certificate. (Copy does not mean photo copied, you almost always need a certified copy with a raised seal, as photocopies lack legal authority and validity). Tip: Order more than you think you need. Reordering later slows everything down.

NOTE: Death certificates are issued by the state where the person died — NOT where the funeral is held, not where they lived, not where the family is.

Want all this in a to-go format? Go to the bottom of this page to download the guide.

Week 2: Protect the Basics (Money, Mail, Property)

In the second week, the focus shifts from immediate logistics to protection. If the person lived alone, secure the home. Lock doors and windows, forward mail, and keep utilities on for now. Texas homestead laws offer protections, but only if the property is handled correctly from the start.

4. Secure the Home and Personal Property

If the person lived alone:

• Lock doors and windows

• Forward mail

• Remove valuables if necessary

• Keep utilities active for now

Texas homestead laws are protective, but only if the home is handled correctly. 

5. Notify Social Security

Confirm that Social Security has been notified. Sometimes the funeral home handles this, but it’s important to verify. If benefits continue incorrectly, families are often required to repay them.

• This stops benefits and prevents overpayments.

• In many cases, the funeral home notifies Social Security, but confirm they notified them.

• If benefits continue incorrectly, Texas families are often required to repay them.

6. Locate the Will (If There Is One) and other documents

You’ll also want to locate important documents. Look for a will, trust documents, property deeds, and recent financial statements. If there is no will, Texas intestacy laws apply, which can significantly affect what happens next. This is a discovery phase, not a decision phase.

Look for:

• A will

• Trust documents

• Property deeds and titles

• Account statements

If there is no will, Texas intestacy laws apply—and that changes what happens next.

Week 3-4: Avoid Common Mistakes and get Organized

By the third week, the most important thing to understand is what not to do. Do not distribute money, sell vehicles, transfer property, or close major accounts yet. These actions can cause serious problems if probate is required, which is common in Texas. Even estates that appear simple often end up in the court system.

Do NOT Distribute Assets Yet

Do not:

• Give away money

• Sell vehicles

• Transfer property

• Close major accounts

Until you know whether probate is required, pause.

Instead, Start a Simple List

Instead of taking action, start a simple list. Write down what exists: bank accounts, credit cards, insurance policies, property, vehicles, and digital accounts. You don’t need account numbers yet. This list becomes your roadmap later.

Just list what exists:

• Bank accounts

• Credit cards

• Insurance policies

• Property

• Vehicles

• Digital accounts

This becomes your roadmap later.

Give Yourself Permission to Stop

Most importantly, give yourself permission to stop. The first month after a death is not about finishing everything. It’s about preventing mistakes, preserving options, and creating breathing room. Texas does not require everything to happen immediately, and rushing often creates more stress later.

Texas, like most states, does not require everything to happen immediately. Grief plus urgency leads to errors. Slower is often smarter.

Don’t Track This in Your Head

If you’re in the first month after a death and your brain already feels full, we made this easier. We’ve turned everything above into a simple, downloadable First 30 Days After a Death in Texas Checklist—ordered, printable, and designed so you don’t have to reread articles or second-guess yourself. You can use it to track what’s been done, what can wait, and what truly matters right now. Download it here and let it hold the structure for you, so you can focus on getting through the days instead of managing the chaos.