After a Death - Immediate Steps
When someone close to us dies, the fallout can be astronomical. Not only are we coping with the emotional impact, but we are faced with what can be a dizzying array of essential tasks and responsibilities to properly close out the details of a life. At such times, an initial roadmap or checklist can make a huge difference by taking away the extra step of planning next steps. Below is a list of what will need immediate tending in order of urgency.
Get an official declaration of death as a step towards getting an official death certificate. If your loved one died at the hospital, in a nursing home or in hospice, a medical professional can do this for you. Otherwise you will need to call 911 and have them transported to an emergency room for the declaration.
Contact friends and family for support. This might be through group text, email or individual phone calls and will reflect your preferences and relationships. Usually, start with those closest in and work your way outwards. Later, you can review the emails and phone contacts of the deceased and make sure to contact their workplace and any church or associations that they participate in as a member. You can also post on your own or the deceased’s social media.
Make immediate plans to care for the body. Check driver’s license, living will or advance directive to know whether they are an organ donor. If so, immediately contact your local hospital because there is a short window of time to donate. Also make immediate arrangements for any pets or people in the deceased’s care.
Review burial plan or discuss one with loved ones. You may find wishes expressed in a written document or if not, family members will need to talk about what the person would have wanted, and what the family members want and can afford. Consider cultural and religious preferences and if applicable, contact the Veteran’s Administration or the person’s congregation for burial support.
Make funeral arrangements. If there is no pre-paid burial plan in their personal paperwork, you will need to research service and burial options. These might include contacting a funeral home or clergy for a meeting and/or burial space, exploring green burial, or cremation. Enlist helpers for the funeral, including someone to plan and print the program, keep track of well-wishers, enlist pallbearers, someone to eulogize, to invite musicians, and to organize a post-funeral gathering, and someone to write thank-you notes.
Secure the property. Lock the door, find someone to water plants, take in the mail and clean out the refrigerator. If there are valuables in the home, you may want to store them safely away. Contact the Post Office to have mail forwarded to your address so that you can keep track of incoming bills and notifications.
After the initial rush to care for the immediate needs of the situation, there will be additional administrative tasks to tend to, including reviewing the estate, closing out accounts, and canceling services. If the deceased had a Will, they will have named an Executor who will need to be involved in all the decision making going forward. It will be important for the executor to have additional support people during this time including a CPA to file final taxes and an estate planning attorney to help navigate the distribution process.
Remember that as you navigate all of life’s turns in the road, you can trust our legal team at Hillsborough Wills & Trusts to support you and your family as you Build Your Circle of Security.
Call us for a free consultation at 919-245-8440 or contact us today at: https://hillsboroughwills.com/contact.