Getting a legal pronouncement of death is the first thing that needs to be done after a loved one dies. If they passed away in a hospital or another medical facility, a nursing home or assisted living facility, or in hospice care, a doctor or nurse will take care of this task. If they pass away in your home and aren’t in hospice, call 911, and have the deceased’s do not resuscitate order (DNR) on hand if they have one. Some areas allow paramedics to pronounce death. In this case, you usually need to contact a funeral home, mortuary, or crematorium to pick up the body from your home if there won’t be an autopsy. If your loved one needs to be transported to the hospital for a doctor to declare the death, their body can be picked up from the hospital by one of these services.

One of the most important things you can do after a loved one dies is get help. No one should have to be alone during such an emotional time. Get someone to help you through this process. You may have to make the first few phone calls to relatives and friends, but then you should enlist those people’s help in calling others, including the Social Security Administration (SSA), Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), and your loved one’s employer. You don’t need to carry this burden alone.

Friends and family can help you with the deceased’s belongings, such as taking care of any pets they have. If you didn’t live with the loved one who died, you’ll want to get help taking care of their home (watering plants, removing valuables, throwing food out, collecting mail, etc.).

These things may seem unimportant, but if someone doesn’t take care of them, they can become a problem later on.

Along with the friends and family members of your loved one, reaching out to professionals to help you with some of the more complicated tasks you’ll face, like settling the deceased’s estate, will provide you with a huge amount of support. Before the funeral, contact any of these individuals your loved one worked with prior to their passing to ensure these important tasks are addressed immediately.

• Your loved one’s burial or funeral insurance agent will help you access death benefits from their final expense life insurance policy.
• The insurance agent that helped them obtain a whole or term life insurance policy will work on providing you or the deceased’s spouse the funds you’re owed.
• Their financial advisor, financial planner, or personal banker will begin taking steps to free up the funds you’ll need to pay their final bills and estate taxes and fees.
• The certified public account (CPA) they worked with will round up the tax documents you’ll need to settle your loved one’s estate. This specialist can also help you when it’s time to file your loved one’s final tax return and estate return.
• The attorney who prepared their will, trust, and other end-of-life documents will provide you the legal records you will need throughout the funeral-planning process and estate settlement, including the letter of testamentary. If you aren’t the executor of their estate or the trustee of their will, the legal professional who drafted them will contact these individuals.
• If you’re the spouse, partner, or next of kin of a loved one who died without a will, contact your local probate court to get a letter of administration or letter of representation, which you’ll need to settle their estate.
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Over the next several weeks, you’ll need to send copies of various documents to a variety of people in order to start making your loved one’s final arrangements. The professionals you contacted following your loved one’s death can provide many of these records to the spouse or next of kin, which include:

• Information in a safe deposit box or safe – This might include birth certificates, marriage or divorce certificates, military discharge papers, a will, property deeds, vehicle titles, financial or retirement account records, IRS returns, and other legal documents and insurance policies. If you don’t know whether one exists, contact the bank of the deceased.
• The death certificate – This document will be used the most. Make sure you get multiple copies and keep them somewhere safe. In the coming days, you’ll need these as you contact creditors, banks, government agencies, and insurance companies.
• The probate or will – If you don’t know whether one exists, ask other family members. If your loved one had a lawyer, he or she can let you know about any important documents.
• Any life insurance policies – You’ll want to contact the insurance company as soon as possible so they can start their claim process. Depending on the provider, it could take weeks for you to get the death benefit from the policy. You may need to fill out additional paperwork to allow them to order the deceased’s medical records.
• Record of military service – This is important if you desire a military component in the funeral. Military Funeral Honors are a free benefit to any veteran (except in the instance of a dishonorable discharge). This can include an honor guard, the folding and presenting of an American flag, and the playing of “Taps.” A record of service is also important in order to claim any benefits for the surviving spouse. Depending on the circumstances of a veteran’s death, benefits can include a pension, insurance, home loans or housing assistance, health care, employment services, and more. Check the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website for more information.