Resources
Someone died. Now what?
Guides, checklists, and tools for executors, caregivers, and anyone suddenly responsible after a death. Start with what matters first.
Checklist
What to do when someone dies: the complete checklist
One place to see the urgent tasks, the “do this week” items, and what can wait, built for real life when your brain is overloaded.
The first week
Notifications, death certificates, funeral decisions, and the calls you cannot skip. Start with the tasks that unlock everything else.
How Many Death Certificates Do I Need?The exact number to order, what certified copies mean, and why reordering later is a pain.Read guide
How to Notify Social Security of a DeathWho reports it, what information you need, and what happens to benefits next.Read guide
Accounts to Close After DeathBank accounts, credit cards, subscriptions, utilities, and what not to close too soon.Read guide
How to Find Out If an Account Has a BeneficiaryBefore you close anything, check this. Beneficiaries can change who gets what.Read guide
The first month
Accounts, mail, benefits, identity protection, and the slower paperwork that still has deadlines.
Do I Need Probate?A simple guide to when probate is required and when an estate may be able to skip it.Read guide
Probate Timeline: How Long It TakesWhat happens from filing to final distribution, and where delays usually happen.Read guide
What to Do If There Is No WillWhat intestacy means, who has authority, and what steps come first.Read guide
What to Do With a House After Someone DiesSecure, insure, maintain, sell, transfer, or rent the home in the right order.Read guide
Estate settlement and the whole process
Probate, property, taxes, assets, and distribution, broken into steps a tired person can finish.
Estate Settlement ChecklistThe executor roadmap from day one to closing the estate.Read guide
Plan Your FuneralA fill-in-the-blank guide to document wishes before someone else has to decide.Read guide
Estate Planning in 10 MinutesThe bare-minimum plan that makes a massive difference later.Read guide
Inventory an Estate GuideHow to document property, estimate value, and avoid mistakes when sorting belongings.Read guide
You don’t have to track all of this in your head.
Good Grief turns the chaos into a personalized task list. Share it with family, store documents securely, and see what’s next without another 2 a.m. search spiral.
Read the checklistPlan ahead
The best time to reduce future stress is before a crisis. Start small, you don’t need a perfect binder overnight.
Estate Planning in 10 Minutes
A simple walkthrough to get the basics in order without waiting for a perfect plan.
Read the guidePlan Your Funeral
Document your wishes, from services to songs, so family does not have to guess.
Read the guide
Best End-of-Life Planning Tools
Not all planning tools are built for the same person. We break down the best options so you can pick the right one.
Read the guideWhat to Do If There Is No Will
What happens when someone dies without a will, and why having one matters.
Read the guide
More ways to learn
- Open printable
Printable: Most Important
A one-page list of the tasks that matter most in the first days. Keep it on the fridge.
Explore more readingDeath reading list
Books and essays we return to when words help more than checklists.
Take the quizDead wrong: a quiz about death
A gentle quiz to surface myths and facts about what happens after someone dies.
FAQ
Questions people ask after someone dies
Short answers for the searches that usually happen at the worst possible time.
Read the full FAQWhat should I do first after someone dies?
Start with the immediate tasks that unlock everything else: notify close family, arrange care for dependents and pets, secure property, choose a funeral home if needed, and order death certificates.
What resources are included here?
This page collects first-week guides, first-month guides, probate and estate settlement articles, planning-ahead resources, and a free Good Grief checklist.
Is the Good Grief checklist free?
Yes. Good Grief offers a free checklist to help you organize next steps after a death and decide what needs attention now.
Do all estates need probate?
No. Probate depends on state law, account ownership, beneficiary designations, trusts, and the type and value of assets left behind.