What To Do When Someone Dies

Immediate Actions (First 24 Hours)

The first day is mostly about safety, confirmation, support, and preserving information.

If the death was expected under hospice

• Call the hospice nurse or hospice 24-hour line.
• Follow the instructions in the hospice plan.
• Ask who will pronounce or certify the death.
• Ask what happens next and when a funeral home or body transport provider should be contacted.
• Ask what to do with medications, medical equipment, oxygen, or supplies.
• If anything feels unsafe or the circumstances are not what hospice expected, call emergency services.

If the death was unexpected

• Call emergency services or the appropriate local emergency number.
• Do not disturb the room, body, medications, weapons, vehicle, or other items unless safety requires it.
• Follow instructions from emergency responders, police, the medical examiner, or coroner.
• Ask where the person will be taken.
• Ask who will contact you next.
• Write down the names, agencies, and phone numbers of anyone you speak with.

If the death happened at home

• If the death was unexpected, call emergency services.
• If hospice was involved and the death was expected, call hospice.
• Secure pets, children, and vulnerable people away from the immediate area if needed.
• Lock doors and windows when it is safe to do so.
• Make sure the stove, candles, water, heat, air conditioning, and appliances are safe.
• If the person lived alone, arrange for someone to check the home regularly.

If the death happened in a hospital or care facility

• Ask staff what happens next.
• Ask who will pronounce or certify the death.
• Ask how personal belongings will be returned.
• Ask whether you need to choose a funeral home or cremation provider before the body can be released.
• Ask whether a medical examiner, coroner, or autopsy process is involved.
• Get the name and phone number of the staff member or office handling next steps.

If the death happened abroad

• Contact local authorities in the country where the death occurred.
• Contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate if the person was a U.S. citizen.
• Ask about the local death certificate.
• Ask about a Consular Report of Death Abroad.
• Ask about local burial, cremation, shipment of remains, and shipment of personal effects.
• Expect the process to depend on local law, local customs, translation, travel, and transportation rules.

Secure property and information

• Secure keys, wallet, purse, phone, computer, tablet, checkbook, IDs, and mail.
• Keep phones and computers charged if possible.
• Protect medications, firearms, financial records, insurance papers, and legal documents.
• Collect mail and packages if the home may be empty.
• Do not throw away papers, notebooks, bills, envelopes, or statements yet.
• Take photos of valuable property if there is conflict or risk of items being removed.

First Week

The first week is about organizing. You may be arranging services, looking for documents, notifying key people, and making sure property and bills do not slip through the cracks.

Funeral and memorial planning

• Look for written wishes before making decisions.
• Check for a prepaid funeral plan, burial plot, cemetery deed, final expense policy, or instructions.
• Decide who has legal authority to make funeral, burial, cremation, donation, or memorial decisions.
• Contact funeral homes, cremation providers, cemeteries, clergy, celebrants, or memorial venues as needed.
• Ask for prices before agreeing to arrangements.
• Ask what is required and what is optional.
• Save all contracts and receipts.
• Decide whether to publish an obituary or death notice.
• Be careful about sharing too much personal information in public notices.

Death certificates

• Ask the funeral home or vital records office how to order certified death certificates.
• Certified copies are often needed for banks, insurers, pensions, government agencies, and estate tasks.
• Some simpler cancellations may accept a photocopy.
• Ask each organization what type of copy it requires before sending one.
• Keep a list of where each certified copy goes.
• Do not mail original legal documents unless the organization clearly requires it and you can track the mailing.

Important documents

• Look for the will, trust, funeral instructions, letter of instruction, and contact information for an attorney or executor.
• Gather IDs, birth certificate, marriage certificate, divorce decree, military records, and Social Security information.
• Gather recent bank, retirement, insurance, mortgage, loan, tax, utility, and credit card records.
• Look for safe deposit box keys, password manager instructions, and recent mail.
• Keep everything together in one folder, box, or digital scan folder.

If you are trying to organize these conversations before a crisis, the Aging Parent / Caregiver Checklist can help with legal documents, medical information, and family roles while the person can still participate.

Employer notification

If the person was employed, recently retired, or had workplace benefits, contact the employer or HR department.

Ask about:

• Final paycheck.
• Unpaid wages.
• Accrued vacation or paid time off.
• Group life insurance.
• Retirement plan or pension.
• Health coverage continuation for family members.
• Stock, equity, bonus, or commission compensation.
• Union benefits.
• Employee assistance or survivor support.
• Workplace belongings.
• Company equipment that needs to be returned.
• Forms and documents required.

Social Security reporting

• Ask the funeral home whether it will report the death to Social Security.
• If no funeral home is involved, or if you are not sure the report was made, call Social Security.
• Reporting the death is separate from applying for survivor benefits.
• Some family members may qualify for Social Security survivor benefits.
• An eligible spouse, or in some cases a child, may qualify for a one-time $255 lump-sum death payment.
• If the person had Medicare, death reporting generally goes through Social Security.

Insurance policies

Look for:

• Life insurance.
• Employer-provided life insurance.
• Accidental death coverage.
• Final expense or burial insurance.
• Health insurance.
• Medicare, Medicaid, or supplemental coverage.
• Long-term care insurance.
• Disability insurance.
• Homeowners or renters insurance.
• Auto insurance.
• Umbrella insurance.
• Business insurance.
• Veteran-related insurance.

If you find a life insurance policy:

• Contact the insurer.
• Ask what claim forms are required.
• Ask what proof of death is required.
• Ask whether a certified death certificate is needed.
• Ask how beneficiaries will be contacted.

If you cannot find a policy, search records, bank statements, tax records, safe deposit boxes, old employer records, and insurance agent files. The NAIC Life Insurance Policy Locator may help beneficiaries or legal representatives search for lost policies.

Financial account discovery

Start identifying accounts before trying to close or move money.

Look for:

• Checking and savings accounts.
• Credit union accounts.
• Credit cards.
• Mortgages.
• Vehicle loans.
• Personal loans.
• Student loans.
• Retirement accounts.
• Pensions.
• Brokerage accounts.
• Annuities.
• Payment apps.
• Safe deposit boxes.
• Business accounts.
• Automatic payments.

Do not assume you have authority to use, close, transfer, or withdraw from accounts. Ask each institution what documents it needs.

Property and mail

• Keep necessary utilities active.
• Keep property insurance active while the home, vehicle, or belongings still exist.
• Collect or forward mail.
• Stop deliveries if the home is empty.
• Check for leaks, pests, weather issues, lawn care, snow removal, and security problems.
• Notify a landlord or property manager if the person rented.
• If the person owned a home, avoid selling, renting, or transferring it until authority is clear.

Vehicles

• Secure keys.
• Locate title, registration, insurance, and loan documents.
• Make sure the vehicle is parked legally and safely.
• Keep insurance active until ownership, storage, sale, or transfer is clear.
• Do not sell, gift, or transfer a vehicle until you know who has authority.

Pets

• Arrange immediate food, water, medication, and safe housing.
• Look for veterinary records.
• Contact a pet sitter, neighbor, family member, rescue group, or veterinarian if needed.
• Decide on temporary care before making permanent decisions.

First Month

The first month is when the practical work usually widens. This is when legal authority, benefits, accounts, property, taxes, and digital life may all start to overlap.

You still do not have to solve everything at once.

Probate basics

Probate is the legal process that may be used to transfer property, pay debts, and distribute assets after someone dies.

Probate may or may not be needed. It depends on:

• State law.
• Whether there was a will.
• Whether there was a trust.
• What property the person owned.
• Whether assets had named beneficiaries.
• Whether property was jointly owned.
• The size of the estate.
• Whether there are debts, disputes, or unclear ownership.

A will does not always avoid probate. A named executor may still need court authority before acting for the estate.

Estate authority basics

Before closing major accounts, selling property, giving away belongings, or paying debts, find out who has legal authority.

Authority may come from:

• Court appointment as executor, administrator, or personal representative.
• Trustee role under a trust.
• Beneficiary designation.
• Joint ownership.
• Payable-on-death or transfer-on-death rules.
• Small estate procedures.
• Other state-specific legal processes.

A power of attorney generally ends at death. Do not assume it allows someone to access accounts, sell property, or make estate decisions after the person dies.

Benefits and claims

Possible benefits and claims may include:

• Social Security survivor benefits.
• Social Security lump-sum death payment.
• Life insurance.
• Employer-provided life insurance.
• Final paycheck.
• Retirement accounts.
• Pension survivor benefits.
• Annuities.
• Union benefits.
• Veteran burial or memorial benefits.
• Veteran survivor benefits.
• Health coverage continuation.
• Refunds from insurance, utilities, subscriptions, or deposits.

If the person served in the military, look for DD214 or other separation documents and check VA burial, memorial, cemetery, transportation, and survivor benefits.

Property management

• Keep property secure.
• Keep insurance active until ownership or sale is resolved.
• Keep records of property expenses.
• Maintain utilities needed to protect the home.
• Photograph valuable items if needed.
• Inventory belongings before distribution.
• Avoid informal promises about valuable or sentimental items.
• Get help if family members disagree about property.

Taxes

Keep tax records in one place.

You may need to think about:

• Final individual income tax return.
• Prior unfiled tax returns.
• Estate income tax return.
• Estate tax.
• State income tax.
• State estate or inheritance tax.
• Property tax.
• Business tax.
• Tax refunds.
• Tax documents for retirement accounts, investments, and property sales.

Tax rules can get complicated quickly. Consider asking a tax professional if the estate has income, investments, real estate, business interests, significant assets, or unclear obligations.

Digital accounts

Digital accounts can be useful, but they can also be legally sensitive.

Preserve:

• Phone.
• Computer.
• Tablet.
• Email account information.
• Password manager instructions.
• Two-factor authentication devices.
• Cloud storage.
• Photos.
• Online banking records.
• Subscription records.
• Social media accounts.
• Domain names or websites.
• Online business accounts.
• Cryptocurrency records.

Do not assume you are allowed to log in, take over, or download everything. Provider rules, state law, federal privacy law, online tools, and court authority may apply.

Use official deceased-user processes when available.

Common first-month mistakes

• Paying debts personally because a caller sounds urgent.
• Distributing belongings before authority is clear.
• Closing phone or email before finding important accounts.
• Cancelling insurance while property still exists.
• Letting mail pile up.
• Missing employer benefits.
• Missing life insurance.
• Missing veteran benefits.
• Forgetting digital accounts.
• Mixing estate money with personal money.
• Losing receipts.

Important Documents To Locate

Keep documents together. If possible, create one folder for originals and one folder for copies or scans.

Estate and legal documents

• Will.
• Trust.
• Codicils or amendments.
• Letter of instruction.
• Funeral or burial instructions.
• Advance directive.
• Healthcare proxy.
• Power of attorney.
• Guardianship documents.
• Attorney contact information.
• Court orders.

Identity and family documents

• Birth certificate.
• Death certificate once available.
• Social Security card or number record.
• Driver's license or state ID.
• Passport.
• Marriage certificate.
• Divorce decree.
• Domestic partnership records.
• Adoption records.
• Child support or custody orders.
• Citizenship or immigration documents.

Funeral, burial, and military documents

• Prepaid funeral plan.
• Cemetery deed.
• Burial plot records.
• Cremation or burial instructions.
• Organ, tissue, or body donation documents.
• Military discharge papers, such as DD214.
• VA claim number or military service records.

Financial documents

• Bank statements.
• Credit union statements.
• Checkbooks.
• Credit card statements.
• Loan documents.
• Mortgage statements.
• Retirement account statements.
• Pension documents.
• Brokerage statements.
• Annuity contracts.
• Safe deposit box information.
• Payment app records.
• Cryptocurrency wallet or exchange records.

Insurance documents

• Life insurance policies.
• Employer life insurance records.
• Health insurance cards.
• Medicare or Medicaid cards.
• Long-term care insurance.
• Disability insurance.
• Homeowners or renters insurance.
• Auto insurance.
• Umbrella insurance.
• Business insurance.

Property and business documents

• Deeds.
• Titles.
• Vehicle registration.
• Lease agreement.
• HOA or condo records.
• Storage unit contracts.
• Business ownership documents.
• Partnership agreements.
• Corporate records.
• Professional licenses.
• Appraisals.
• Receipts for valuable property.

Tax and bill records

• Recent tax returns.
• W-2s.
• 1099s.
• K-1s.
• Property tax records.
• Utility bills.
• Medical bills.
• Subscription records.
• Recent mail.

Digital access records

• Password manager instructions.
• Device passcodes.
• Account recovery information.
• Email account records.
• Domain or website login records.
• Cloud storage information.

Who To Notify

Not everyone needs to be notified on the first day. Start with people who need to know for safety, support, arrangements, benefits, property, or legal reasons.

Close people and helpers

• Spouse or partner.
• Children.
• Parents.
• Siblings.
• Close relatives.
• Chosen family.
• Close friends.
• Executor named in the will.
• Trustee.
• Caregiver.
• Neighbor who can check the home.

Funeral, community, and care contacts

• Funeral home or cremation provider.
• Cemetery.
• Clergy, faith leader, or celebrant.
• Hospice provider.
• Hospital or care facility.
• Doctors with upcoming appointments.
• Pharmacy.
• Home care agency.
• Medical equipment providers.
• Veterinarian or pet sitter.

Employer and benefits contacts

• Employer or HR department.
• Union.
• Pension administrator.
• Retirement plan administrator.
• Life insurance provider.
• Health insurance provider.
• Former employer if benefits may exist.

Government agencies

• Social Security.
• Medicare through Social Security reporting.
• Medicaid or state benefits office if applicable.
• Veterans Affairs if the person served.
• State vital records office.
• Probate court if needed.
• State tax agency if needed.
• IRS for tax matters.
• Department of motor vehicles if vehicles must be transferred.
• U.S. embassy or consulate for a U.S. citizen who died abroad.

Financial and property contacts

• Banks.
• Credit unions.
• Credit card issuers.
• Mortgage servicer.
• Landlord or property manager.
• HOA or condo association.
• Auto lender.
• Investment firms.
• Insurance agent.
• Utility companies.
• Phone and internet providers.
• Storage unit company.

Digital and subscription contacts

• Email providers.
• Phone carrier.
• Cloud storage provider.
• Social media platforms.
• Subscription services.
• Domain registrar or website host.
• Online business platforms.
• Payment apps.