What to do when someone dies.

Get the death officially pronounced

15 min•Required

If they died in a hospital or hospice, staff will handle this. At home, call 911 or hospice. The pronouncement is what unlocks every form, certificate, and account closure that follows.

Notify immediate family

1–3 hrs•Personal

You don't have to call everyone. Pick one or two people who can help you call others. A short text is fine. "Mom died this morning. I'll send details when I can."

Contact a funeral home or cremation provider

30–60 min•Required

They will pick up the body and walk you through next steps. You do not have to make every decision (burial, service, urn) on this call. Just start the conversation.

Secure the home and belongings

30 min•Recommended

Lock the door. Bring in mail. If they lived alone, ask a trusted neighbor to keep an eye on the property. Don't move valuables yet — you may need an inventory later for the estate.

Care for dependents and pets

Varies•If applicable

Children, an aging spouse, or pets need someone watching them today. This is a "ask one person to handle it" task — not something you should be coordinating yourself.

Eat something. Sleep if you can.

—•Non-negotiable

We mean this. The next 12 months are a marathon. You will be making financial and legal decisions on no sleep. Protect your body now.

Order 5–10 certified death certificates

$15–25 each•Critical

Every bank, insurer, and government agency needs an original. Order more than you think — re-orders take weeks. The funeral home usually handles this.

Locate the will and any estate documents

1–2 hrs•Critical

Check a home safe, filing cabinet, safe deposit box, or attorney's office. Also look for a trust, power of attorney, and advance directive.

Plan the funeral or memorial service

4–8 hrs•Personal

Cremation, burial, or green burial. Service or no service. Religious or secular. There's no "right" answer — pick what feels true to them and to you.

Write and submit the obituary

2 hrs•Optional

Newspaper obits run $150–$1,000+. Online obits (Legacy.com, funeral home website) are usually free. Keep it short. List close family by name.

Notify their employer

30 min•Critical

Ask about: final paycheck, unused PTO, life insurance through work, 401(k), stock options, and COBRA for any dependents on their health plan.

Notify Social Security (if applicable)

30 min•Required

Call 1-800-772-1213. The funeral home often files this for you. There's a one-time $255 death benefit and possibly survivor benefits for a spouse or kids.

Notify the VA (if a veteran)

1 hr•If applicable

Veterans qualify for a free burial flag, a headstone, and possibly burial allowance. The funeral home can file VA Form 21P-530.

Forward mail and pause subscriptions

1 hr•Recommended

USPS forwarding to your address (or the executor's) prevents identity theft and surfaces accounts you didn't know existed.

Lock down digital accounts

2 hrs•Recommended

Email, social media, banking, password manager. If you have access, change passwords. If not, contact each platform's "deceased account" process.

Make a list of everyone who needs to be told

1 hr•Practical

Doctors, dentist, hairdresser, book club, church, neighbors. You'll be hearing "I'm so sorry, I had no idea" for years. A list helps.

File the will with the probate court

2–4 hrs•Required in most states

Even small estates usually have to be filed. The court issues "Letters Testamentary" — the document that proves you're allowed to act on the estate's behalf.

Hire a probate or estate attorney (often)

$1,500–$10,000+•Recommended

Required in many states for estates over a certain value. Flat-fee attorneys exist — ask. Avoid percentage-of-estate fees if you can.

Open an estate bank account

1 hr•Required

All estate income (final paychecks, refunds, dividends) and expenses (bills, attorney fees) flow through this account. You'll need an EIN from the IRS — it takes 5 minutes online.

Notify all banks and credit unions

3–5 hrs•Required

Each bank has a different process. Joint accounts usually transfer to the survivor. Solo accounts are frozen and become part of the estate.

Notify the three credit bureaus

30 min•Critical

Equifax, Experian, TransUnion. This prevents identity theft and stops new credit from being issued. Mail a death certificate to each.

Cancel credit cards and pay final balances

2–4 hrs•Required

Authorized users lose access. Joint cardholders are usually liable for their share. Don't pay off cards in the deceased's sole name from your personal money — that's the estate's job.

File life insurance claims

2 hrs each•If applicable

Look for individual policies, employer policies, mortgage life insurance, and credit card insurance. Claims usually pay within 30–60 days.

Notify retirement accounts and pensions

3 hrs•If applicable

401(k), IRA, 403(b), pension, annuities. Beneficiary designations override the will, so these often skip probate entirely.

Cancel health insurance and Medicare

1 hr•Required

Surviving spouses on the same plan should switch coverage before canceling. Medicare is auto-cancelled when SSA is notified — but check.

Cancel driver's license and voter registration

30 min•Recommended

Prevents fraud and stops jury duty notices. Most state DMVs have a simple online form.

Inventory the assets

5–15 hrs•Required for probate

Real estate, vehicles, accounts, investments, valuables. Take photos. Get appraisals where needed. The court needs a number.

Notify mortgage and any lenders

1–2 hrs•If applicable

Mortgages usually have a "due-on-death" clause but spouses are often protected. Don't stop paying — the loan still accrues interest.

Publish creditor notice (if required)

$50–$200•State-dependent

Many states require a notice to creditors in a local newspaper. They have a window (usually 90–120 days) to file claims. After that, you're done.

Pay valid debts from the estate

Ongoing•Required

Funeral costs and taxes get paid first. Then secured debts. Then unsecured debts. Family is usually NOT personally liable — debts die with the person if the estate can't cover them.

Transfer or sell vehicles

2–4 hrs each•If applicable

DMV will need the title, death certificate, and Letters Testamentary. Some states have a "small estate" affidavit that skips probate for vehicles.

Address real estate

5–40 hrs•If applicable

Sell, transfer, or rent. Keep paying utilities, insurance, and HOA fees from the estate. An empty house insurance rider may be required after 30 days.

Sort through belongings

20–80 hrs•Personal

Don't do this alone if you can help it. Estate sale companies, donation pickups, and "clean-out" services exist. You're allowed to keep the bowl your mom used every morning even if it's worth nothing.

Cancel utilities and services

2–3 hrs•When ready

Electric, gas, water, internet, cable, phone, streaming, gym, lawn care, trash. Wait until the house is sold or transferred so you don't shut off mid-process.

Refile property in survivor's name (if joint)

2 hrs•If applicable

A "survivorship affidavit" or new deed at the county recorder. Cheap, but easy to forget for years until you try to sell.

Update beneficiaries on YOUR accounts

2 hrs•Often missed

If your spouse died, your 401(k), IRA, life insurance, and bank "payable on death" need new beneficiaries. Do this before you forget.

Update your own will and estate plan

4 hrs•Recommended

If they were your executor, name a new one. If they were named in your will, update it. You just learned how this works — apply it to yourself.

Find a grief support resource

—•For you

Therapist, support group, faith community, hospice bereavement program (often free for 13 months after a hospice death, even if you're not the patient's family).

File the final personal tax return

4–10 hrs•Required

Form 1040 for the year of death, due April 15 the following year. A CPA who handles deceased returns is worth the $500–$1,500 fee.

File the estate income tax return (Form 1041)

3–6 hrs•If income > $600

Required if the estate earned $600+ during administration. Different from the personal return. Same CPA can handle both.

File estate tax return (Form 706) — only large estates

10–40 hrs•If estate > $13.61M (2026)

Federal estate tax only kicks in above the exemption. Some states (NY, MA, OR, WA) have their own thresholds, much lower. Ask the attorney.

Distribute assets to beneficiaries

5–10 hrs•Required

Only after creditors are paid and taxes are filed. Get signed receipts from every beneficiary. Keep them forever.

File final accounting with the court

5–15 hrs•Required for formal probate

Every dollar in, every dollar out. Most states have a template. The court reviews and discharges you as executor.

Close the estate bank account

30 min•After distribution

Last step. Do not close before all checks have cleared. Keep the EIN paperwork for your records — the IRS may ask years later.

Keep all records for 7 years

—•Compliance

Tax returns, court filings, account closures, beneficiary receipts, attorney correspondence. A single banker's box is usually enough.

Mark the anniversary the way YOU want

—•For you

Some families gather. Some quietly take the day off. Some pretend it's a normal Tuesday. There is no correct answer. Tell the people around you what you need.

Write down what you learned

1 hr•For your family

Most people do this twice — once for each parent. The notes you take now will save your sibling, your spouse, or your kids dozens of hours later.